


Eyes of Duality: Conceptual God of Falsehood

by SolidStateDuality



Series: Eyes of Duality [1]
Category: No Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-05
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-09-15 01:47:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 40
Words: 51,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9213719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SolidStateDuality/pseuds/SolidStateDuality
Summary: FOREWORD FROM SSD:Well, it's finally come to this? After about two years of work and numerous hiatuses, this work is finally finished and published up on a website for others to look at before I try to expand my creative endeavors into other aspects. So, for now the first-ish edition of the beginning of a series of mine is up for reading, critique and inevitable public humiliation, much like most other writers putting up their works on the internet.PREAMBLE:Heed closely, people of my devotion, for your prayers.You, my people and the land are who I protect and benefit from my own hands.You, my people shall live your lives, free from hindrances.Should conflict come upon you, I have everything within my power to maintain peace.You may act on your accord, but keep in mind that only I can keep order.Chaos is merely a burden on your lives.Now, be free and live the lives you have been bestowed.Should you not abide by these tenets, your lives may be ended.Now face the dawn of a new day, and abandon the darkness.Rise and pray to your only god, His Conceptual.





	1. Chapter 1

A new day dawned over the town of Unitas, the start of another day of worship to His Conceptual. One worshipper, a dark-haired man, woke up and performed a morning prayer toward the rising sun. The man had dark black hair and wore a garment of a shade of cerulean with a black stripe along the torso and sleeves. His blue eyes shone against the rising sun as he prayed.

“... And may His Conceptual watch over my actions…” prayed the worshipper as he knelt. He finished his prayer, and prepared to go about his day. He walked into his room’s kitchen to search for some food for a quick meal. His abode was not overtly clean nor too disorganized, but it was clean enough for him to find some bread in a bread box. He made himself a simple breakfast, which he slowly ate as he thought about the day ahead. The main thought he held was the upcoming seminary session, as he expected another day of learning. The day was just like any other day, but the young man felt something was soon to come about him, but not certain when it would arrive.

After finishing his meal, he left his abode, and gazed at Unitas. The town was quite peaceful, with little to no conflict. Stone brick roads paved the way to the many sights around Unitas, ranging from marketplaces to churches where people worshipped His Conceptual to open fields where farmers raised their crops and livestock. In the center of Unitas was the Citadel of Concept, where His Conceptual supposedly resided and rules over Unitas. At the borders of the town was a great stone brick wall that encircled the town, protecting it from outside intruders. However, not many people of Unitas have gone through the gates of the wall, barring them from the outside lands. No contact had been made for many years, and knowledge of the outside lands were limited, even uncharted. A forlorn sigh is uttered by the young man, wishing he knew what unseen wonders were outside Unitas.

“Oi! Crysaius Dawn!” beckoned a student from below, “You going to seminary or are you looking at Unitas for the millionth time?.”

“Ah, apologies. I can’t help but admire this morning like any other.” replied Crysaius. He then quickly hurried on to seminary, much like the rest of his housemates, joining the groups of students walking to their morning session. Crysaius did not stand out that much from the rest of the students in his studies, studying history and engaging in the occasional physical exercise, but his only characteristic that made him unique was that he was a little difficult to socialize with. He also generally avoided conversations that don’t pique his interest or apologizes to anyone trying to engage in a chat with him. Crysaius started to make his way to his seminary and as he walked, the brisk cold air of autumn brushed against him with winter on the horizon. Crysaius immediately caught up with the rest of his fellow students, all ready for preaching and education.

The seminary hall was where many of the young people of Unitas go for religious duty and education. The hall itself had many rows of seats, all looking toward a floor at the bottom where a preacher would stand. After several moments of walking down hallways, Crysaius arrived in his designated hall, where many students awaited the arrival for their preacher.


	2. Chapter 2

After seating himself, the preacher walked up to the podium, starting the lecture. Crysaius recognized the preacher as Procopius. He was dressed in a light green tunic and appeared to be approaching the early signs of old age, as his hair was a graying brown tone. Additionally, he was the sole historian of Unitas, documenting every single event and endeavors.

“Now, please take out your Notios and turn to page 87.” said Procopius to the now docile students. The Notio was the text that all the people in Unitas read and preach off of, telling the creation of Unitas and the story of His Conceptual. As Procopius read the Notio to the students, every student followed along, without question or qualm. As Crysaius followed along, he realized his Notio was quite different from the other students. Up until this point, Crysaius didn’t realize that there were extra pages to his Notio, all unmarked. He kept that thought in mind, and resumed flipping the pages to where he left off. “... His Conceptual then said to the disciples: ‘You shall be my acolytes, spreading the knowledge of my words to the farthest reaches of this land.’” preached Procopius. As Procopius continued to preach and the students read in his footsteps, Crysaius succumbed to his curiosity and decided read the unmarked pages of his text.

“... However, the Disciples of Conception grew weary of His Conceptual’s motives, and eventually estranged themselves from him, even forming their own struggle against him...” read Crysaius to himself. An odd sense of intrigue was felt by Crysaius, seemingly thinking that such writing could not have been written in the Notio. After what seemed to Crysaius a short moment, he unfortunately didn’t notice that Procopius had finished his lecture, and was beginning to dismiss the session.

“Students of His Conceptual, you may now rise and be dismissed for your afternoon sessions.” said Procopius as he dismissed everyone. As Crysaius prepared to leave, he was interrupted by Procopius. “... And you, Crysaius Dawn, need to come here after seminary at evening. I see that you seem to be preoccupied with a later part of the text.” chided Procopius, “Being ahead of oneself is grounds for missing information or impatience.”

“Yes, sir.” sighed Crysaius, as he left the room to follow the rest of the students, all going off to have their afternoon sessions.


	3. Chapter 3

Crysaius usually doesn’t do much in his afternoon break, he usually strolled around the town roads after eating his lunch. While strolling about, he kept thinking, particularly about the “Disciples of Conception” and being frustrated over being called in for an overnight session. Walking in the fields near his housing structure, he saw a few of his classmates training their swordsmanship.

He sighed and murmured dejectedly, “I guess I could finish a few errands...”

“Hey! Cry!” yelled a student in a group, “Want to join in on our swordplay practice?”

“No thank you,” replied Crysaius. “I’ve got some other things keeping me busy, and I already have a good man helping me learn swordplay.”

“Tch, fine. Keep doing things your own way then, Crysaius.”

Swordplay is one of the many physical activities taught in Unitas, and was a very popular one. Many young men in Unitas strive to become part of the Convia Guard, which is the main military force of the town, and one of the highest convictions to His Conceptual. A well-known swordplay trainer was Belisarius, who coincidentally, was the general for Convia Guard and a well-known official of His Conceptual.  Crysaius decided to get some errands for today finished before returning to Procopius to make up for his mistake. He walked to the training hall, where Belisarius usually resides when he is teaching swordplay. Belisarius stood near the entrance, presumably having his afternoon break. The general stood vastly taller than Crysaius, as one would expect of a great military official. He had long and somewhat flowing dark brown hair and was out of his armor, which seemed unusual for a military official.

“Ah, Crysaius. What brings you here so early?” questioned Belisarius as Crysaius walked towards the hall.

“I have to stay late, so I may as well use the time I have in this break to do my other tasks.” replied Crysaius in a slightly dejected manner.

“Hm, got too captivated over a single preaching from Procopius?” said Belisarius sarcastically, trying to cheer Crysaius. Belisarius then took Crysaius into the hall and prepared his lessons. After doing some warm-ups involving sword swings and general physical tests, Belisarius tested Crysaius on his ability.

“Now then, let’s test your innate abilities,” said Belisarius, preparing to test Crysaius. Some individuals possessed innate abilities, or magic, which can augment one’s combat ability or act as simple utility. While having these abilities did not insinuate superiority of one individual over others, these abilities have two requirements for one to fully utilize them: knowledge of one’s possession of the it and proper training in said ability. Crysaius’s ability was that he can harness light to strengthen his attacks, support others or himself, or curing wounds. Crysaius took a strike at Belisarius, and tried to put forth enough impact and strength in the strike. His training sword glowed with azure radiance, and slashed at Belisarius, leaving behind a bright gash. The gash faded away, as Crysaius was testing his prowess with his abilities.

“Hm. You almost have a basic mastery of your light-augmented strikes.” critiqued Belisarius, “Unfortunately, your initial strike is too weak, it probably can’t even pierce leather armor..” Crysaius’s mood once again sunk. “Next time we meet, try to work on the strength of your sword strikes before your second strike. Your agility is still very good, however.” ended Belisarius while dismissing Crysaius. As he walked out from the hall, Crysaius felt yet again that in light of these disappointments, he felt a new struggle was yet to come upon him.


	4. Chapter 4

Crysaius usually had a happy disposition, but the day in particular seemed to put him in more of a downcast mood than normal. He walked past a few students walking to their next session, and some decided to question his day.

“Huh, you’re pretty low for a light-hearted person like yourself, Crysaius.” said a student.

“It’s nothing, Ives, just gone through one too many setbacks for today.” responded Crysaius as he continued down the paved road back to his residence.

“Alright, aside from whatever difficulties you’re having today, what seems to be on your mind? You seem to like thinking deeply about small details.” coaxed another student sarcastically. Crysaius took a deep breath, which signalled to the group that he was going to ramble on about something not even remotely in any mindset.

“I’ve been thinking that our lives seem to be… watched by something. And there are more of these worlds that are watched, but for what purpose? Could our lives just be some cosmic-scale observational experiment? Or perhaps just a strange vision of sorts?” said Crysaius, trying to truncate his philosophical thoughts.

“... That’s… an interesting insight, Crysaius. But we need to go have our evening meals.” said Ives, now showing visible avoidance with the rest of his group, as they quickly leave.

Crysaius sighed, “They always do that,” and proceeded to walk back home. Before he walked back to his room, he made a stop in the commercial district of Unitas, hoping to buy some meat for dinner. The market at late afternoon was very busy and crowded, many people were around selling food and their wares to the countless customers around them. Crysaius walked to a stand selling food and inspected them. Freshly slaughtered pork hung from hooks and was only just one item next to bread, fish and poultry. Crysaius took a few cuts of poultry and went over to the clerk, a middle-aged man to pay.

“How much for these?” asked Crysaius as he showed his purchase.

“Three cuts of chicken, fifteen solidi.” replied the clerk.

“Five for one? I remember it being cheaper a year ago.”

“Well, winter is almost among us and I’m not lowering the price. Are you going to pay or stall?” Despite his protests, Crysaius agreed to pay the slightly marked up price. He reached into his pockets and counted out the gold coins and handed them to the clerk. The clerk accepted the payment and put the cuts in a bag and gave it to Crysaius. Crysaius left the stand and made his way back home, albeit a little annoyed at the transaction.

Crysaius at this point could barely stand any more setbacks to his enjoyment of the day, not knowing what else could make it any more irritating. He climbed the stone stairs to the level where his room was and upon reaching the door to his residence, a tall man stood to the side of Crysaius as he reached for the doorknob. “Did I forget to pay my taxes again?” uttered Crysaius to the man in an irritated tone.  The man was Cappadocius, the tax collector of Unitas and garbed in a light green garment, who to the public was a little unpopular, but ran a well-intentioned business of collecting taxes from the people of Unitas. He stood out quite noticeably out of the officials of His Conceptual, showing his wealth.

“Well, no, Crysaius. I’m just dropping by just to remind you that you did indeed pay your taxes, but I’m here to return some of the tax; you overpaid a little.” replied Cappadocius amicably while giving Crysaius some coins.

“Do you happen to know where Tribonian is? I have a few questions for him for the next week.” questioned Crysaius after counting and accepting the return.

Cappadocius laughed a little and stroked his chin. “Haven’t heard from him in a couple of days, he’s probably shut in his home re-working more laws for Unitas.” “Anyways, I’ve got to go off on my own businesses. I’ll see you again.” added Cappadocius as he departed.

Crysaius finally entered his room and prepared a quick meal before he would return to Procopius to make up for his mistake in seminary. Crysaius was not much of a cook, so he quickly boiled the poultry he had purchased in a pot to make a stew. After several minutes of cooking, he then took the hastily-finished stew and sat at his table to eat. While eating his stew, Crysaius read his Notio, interested in the Disciples of Conception and their defiance to His Conceptual. Perusing the section, the Notio stated the existence of seven disciples, each with their own abilities. One disciple was said to be “the harbinger of the sun and the leader of the disciples.” Crysaius was confused, thinking that the Notio was referring to him. He disregarded that thought and remembered he needed to return to Procopius. He quickly cleaned up, grabbed his Notio and ran back to the seminary hall.


	5. Chapter 5

Procopius was standing in the lecture hall, waiting patiently for Crysaius. Crysaius eventually opened the door to the hall, and slowly sat down in one of the many open seats. Procopius then stood up and walked to him.

“Now, what seems to be catching your attention, Crysaius? We haven’t even covered His Conceptual’s ascendence.” interrogated Procopius.

“Do you happen to know anything about the Disciples of Conception, Procopius?” replied Crysaius.

Procopius thought for a moment, and shook his head. “I know nothing of what you’re trying to ask me about. But enough stalling, we need to cover lost knowledge.” Procopius recited for many hours the section Crysaius skipped, while Crysaius followed, reading his Notio. Crysaius occasionally asked questions, with Procopius answering diligently. More time passed as Procopius quizzed Crysaius on the chapters, with Crysaius answering each question in the obedient manner of the students. 

After hours of reading and questions, Procopius now felt confident that Crysaius knew the section he missed. “You may now leave, Crysaius. You are now indoctrinated with the knowledge you have foregone.” said Procopius. Crysaius stood up from his seat and then left the seminary hall. Shortly after Dawn left the hall, Procopius thought to himself, “So he finally knows of the Disciples... When he will realize his role is unknown to me.”

Night had fallen on Unitas, and it was close to midnight. Crysaius walked back home tired, while hearing the cold winds and occasional sound from downtown Unitas. He slowly made his way back while avoiding the occasional people that were still awake at the current time of day. When he finally got home, Crysaius’s only notion was just to sleep; as he couldn’t handle any more tiresome setbacks. He washed himself up, took a quick swig of water, and then fell in his bed exhausted. As he slowly went to sleep, his sense of time slipped away.

Crysaius opened his eyes after getting some light shone in them and saw something completely beyond his comprehension. He appeared to be standing in the courtyard of a church, with signs of a violent skirmish that happened recently. Many dead bodies laid around him, all of them seemingly killed by themselves in a fight with no victor. He continued to look around, thinking that this vision is only a dream, forged from his thoughts from today.

“This… This is a dream, isn’t it?” said Crysaius as he looked around in stress. Suddenly, a man dressed in a blue suit and black dress pants walked out from the shadows into Crysaius’s view and looked at him for a brief moment. He stood much taller than Crysaius, and had neat orange hair and gray irises. He looked at the aftermath of the fight with an expression of melancholy, but as he looked at Crysaius, he closed his eyes and let out a sigh.

“... So, another being is aware of this struggle?” said the man in an ethereal tone.  The man proceeded to turn his back and leave. Crysaius tried to ask the man to stop hesitantly, but fell back into his sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Crysaius, still feeling very tired after resting for an indeterminate amount of time, was suddenly awoken by some commotion outside. It oddly sounded like a fight between some people, which he believed they were drunks that only now made their way home. He got out of bed and slowly crept out of his room, hoping to examine what was happening. Unitas was still dark, as the sun was yet to rise and to begin a new day. Crysaius thought, “What kind of people would be causing hooliganry this early?” as he walked out to where the commotion was at, hoping to find whatever was causing it. His suspicions, however, were proven to be different. When he arrived at the scene, he saw a few guards from the Convia Guard beating a citizen, hitting him with their spears. The guards were violently attacking a man that was lying on the ground, bruised and bloodied.  All Crysaius could do was watch in panic, conflicted over whether he should intervene or not for the sake of what was right.

“Why… Why is it you must smite me for my beliefs!?” yelled the man, being struck with multiple strikes.

“You believe in a farcical belief, His Conceptual is our only god.” responded one of the guards monotonically.

“Can you even give me a straight ANSWER?!” questioned the man in vain. The guards continued to beat the man, beating him ever more with their spears. Angered enough by the treatment, Crysaius steeled his resolve and attempted to intervene.

“You step away from that man!” yelled Crysaius at the guards. The guards then stopped attacking the man, and turned their attention to Crysaius. The man quickly fled, but Crysaius was slowly being cornered by the guards. “Are you not supposed to not harm the people of Unitas?” questioned Crysaius to the impending guards.

“A man should not ignore the presence of the god with mere irreligious thoughts. If you dare question the will of His Conceptual, you will be smitten by his retribution.” said one of the guards. Crysaius realized that the Convia Guard was absolute devotion to His Conceptual, regardless of his motives, which made his attempts at negotiation useless. He then ran quickly away from the guards, while hesitantly thinking about what to do now that he had the military against him. The only seemingly viable option he had was to fight back, but at the cost of vilifying himself with Unitas, but even then such an act would either delay his demise or make it come sooner. Crysaius quickly entered his residence and locked the door, hoping to slow the guards down enough while he prepared his next move. He went and uncovered a box under his bed containing a sword, a standard combat sword of the Convia Guard, complete with a sharp metal blade.

“If conflict is my only option, I will accept it and fight to my end.” said Crysaius as he took his sword and sheathed it. The guards by then had stopped at the door to Crysaius’s residence, and were knocking on his door.

“Accept your death, Crysaius Dawn. You cannot atone for your sins to His Conceptual.” threatened the guards as they knocked louder. Seconds later, Crysaius opened the door, and appeared nonchalant to the guards as they proceeded to attack him. When they were near, Crysaius unsheathed his sword and engaged the guards. Crysaius held his own while defending himself from the guards, and managed to pull off some effective hits. He attempted one strike on a guard, and his blade shined with his energy as he slashed at the guard, leaving behind a bright scar where he struck. The guard then fell, succumbing to the attack Crysaius had done, writhing for a few moments before perishing. The guards, now taking a defensive position, tried to keep their distance. Crysaius prepared to attack the remaining two guards, but a divine figure behind the guards moved into sight.

The figure was no mere man, as the guards stopped their stance to stand in attention for him. This figure stood taller than Crysaius, having a tone of divine omnipotence. His skin was of a fair tone with dark hair contrasting against it. He wore a crown that shone with monochromatic splendor, and a cape, tailing his every movement. On his back was a strange scepter, a symbol of power for any ruler. This figure was no mere man; he was His Conceptual, the god and ruler of Unitas.

His Conceptual glanced at Crysaius. “Why do you fight against good, Dawn? Is that what you stand for?” spoke His Conceptual in a divine cadence. Crysaius was stunned as he stood before his god in the flesh. “Do you stand for your own sense of good, betraying yourself? Is a man refusing to believe in a god in corporeal form worthy of punishment for ignoring such a figure?” added His Conceptual. Crysaius slowly regained his thoughts, and had only one thought: to flee from Unitas. He ran away from His Conceptual and the guards, but His Conceptual continued to watch him along with the guards.

“So, Crysaius is running from retribution and His Conceptual. How funny.” said Cappadocius as he walked up next to His Conceptual.

“How sad to see a young man go against the law of god.” added Tribonian, also walking beside His Conceptual.

“Should I send more guards after him?” questioned Belisarius as he walked up to His Conceptual.

His Conceptual, holding no remorse, said, “Smite him with my will.” 

Crysaius now feared death, as he had done an unforgivable action from defending a non-believer before His Conceptual and taking the life of a soldier. His only thought was to flee Unitas, but seemingly had no reason to. The lands outside of Unitas were uncharted, and seldom ever spoken about. He ran through the empty roads of Unitas and finally stoped at the eastern gate of Unitas. The top of the walls were vastly out of Crysaius’s reach, but while he thought about how to escape, a familiar person stopped Crysaius.

“Leaving so soon, Crysaius?” said Procopius, standing up at the top of the gate.

“Procopius? How are you not informed of what I have done?” said Crysaius in a panic.

“It would have happened sooner or later, but you need to find the Disciples.” replied Procopius.

“... I don’t know anything about what’s outside Unitas, and I don’t know where I need to go!” said Crysaius back to Procopius.

Procopius proceeded to open the gate, and responded, “Look within your Notio, it will be your guide and compass for this journey.” The gate creaked open and Crysaius, hesitant to ask Procopius more questions while the Convia Guard was quickly closing in, ran posthaste out the open gate, stepping foot into unknown lands. The guards climbed up on the walls and attempted to shoot arrows at Crysaius, a few even managing to hit him. But their effort was futile; Crysaius had fled from Unitas.

His Conceptual and his council of Tribonian, Cappadocius and Belisarius stood at the top of the gate Crysaius had fled from and looked off in the distance. “You cannot escape my will, Crysaius Dawn. I will do anything in my power to bring retribution upon you.” said His Conceptual to the distance. He then turned to Belisarius, “Send some soldiers to search for him.” commanded His Conceptual. Belisarius complied, and ordered a contingent of soldiers to follow Crysaius.

Exhausted from running, Crysaius slowly climbed a hill and rested for a short moment, and looked at Unitas for what may be the last time. Unitas was still dark, and was still alert for Crysaius’s presence. His Conceptual’s citadel stood in the middle of Unitas, standing high above the lesser structures. Crysaius looked to the citadel, and made an oath that he would one day return to Unitas to defeat His Conceptual and put an end to his religious campaign. Crysaius then used his energy to emit a light from his hands that mended the wounds made from the arrows. After catching his breath, he stood up, turned his back to Unitas and walked off into the dawn of a new day, on his journey to find the Disciples.


	7. Chapter 7

A day had passed since Crysaius’s escape from Unitas, and he was well on his quest to find the Disciples. He was walking through an unnamed forest, but hoped to find an exit and maybe another settlement. Crysaius decided to sit on a rock and read his Notio for more details on the Disciples.

“So, one of the Disciples is a man of knives and cunningness… But would a forest be their residence?” thought Crysaius to himself out loud. He stood up and continued to search around the forest, examining every identical sight. The forest was not heavily obscured, as all of the trees had their leaves fallen off long ago from the embrace of autumn. On occasion, a bird flew above or a small critter ran past, most likely trying to find residence for the oncoming winter. To Crysaius, the forest was expectedly quiet, but he recurringly had the thought the instant he entered the forest that someone was watching him and quietly studying his actions.

As Crysaius kept searching around, he found some knives stabbed in some trees, as if someone were using them as target practice. “Knives...” Crysaius thought to himself, examining the trees that were struck. He moved closer to the tree to examine the knives. The knives themselves were identical, each of them made completely out of metal, all the way down to their grips. Crysaius then heard the sound of something being stabbed into a tree, putting him in a state of caution. He remained quiet, anticipating another attack if he made a step. He stood still for a few moments, but not a single knife was thrown. Crysaius attempted to slowly step forward, only to have a knife thrown just inches away from cutting him hit a tree behind him. Crysaius turned around and looked upwards to find a young man sitting in the trees.

“Took you long enough to look up for once.” said the man as he tossed around a knife in his hand. Upon examining the man that had thrown the knives, he had indeterminately neat or disheveled dark hair, and wore a long blue coat on top of a gray undershirt and black pants. His demeanor was of overt stoicism, even evident in his face. He also appeared to be slightly taller than Crysaius, judging from his estimation of his height.

“I am Crysaius Dawn, and I have many questions, starting with your name?” introduced Crysaius to the man.

“Hmph. Avan Ilern. That’s who I am in this dumb story.” replied the man.

“... Dumb story? You’re confusing me, Avan.”

“We’re characters in a convoluted story written by some idiot who doesn’t know how to write, that’s what.” responded Avan in his apathetic tone.

“... Where do you come from, Avan?” said Dawn, trying to disregard Avan’s unusual response.

“It doesn’t matter; where I come from is as good as dead.” replied Avan.

“I hear that you are skilled in knives, judging from — ”

“Yes, and I’ve spent my life training my knife throwing skills. Only now I have a quiet place to practice.” said Avan as he threw his knife at a tree as it firmly stabbed into its trunk.

Crysaius took some interest in a knife Avan kept in a sheath around his leg, as it was different from the knives he threw. Its blade was well-polished, and had a grip as dark as as obsidian.

“What is that knife you have there?” questioned Crysaius

“It’s the knife I cut and stab with. Are you going to spend this entire chapter asking me dumb questions?”

Crysaius, showing some forfeit to only a few questions, prepared to ask him, “Do you know of the god His Conceptual?”

Avan leaned back on the tree he stood on and responded “I don’t know anything about that man, but feel free to describe him to me and the reader.”

“He is no mere man, he is the god that created this land you live in, and he has started his agenda to kill all non-believers, and I request that you join my quest to defeat him.” said Crysaius, hoping to get Avan to join.

Avan scoffed at Crysaius and responded, “That sounds like some trite plot shamefully plagiarized from another story.” He thought for a moment and sarcastically added, “Tell you what: if you can prove you can stand on your own, then I’ll consider joining you in your god-killing adventure.” Crysaius felt exasperated listening to Avan’s quips and sighed and thought about what qualified in his challenge. “Can you also get the writer to think of better story ideas rather than this?” he chimed.


	8. Chapter 8

Crysaius, aftering thinking on how to get Avan to join him, asked, “What trial must I survive in order to get you to join, Avan?”

“I have a great idea, Crysaius.” said Avan as he unsheathed his knife. “Let’s see how well you can do with that sword you seem to be lugging around.” Avan leapt off from the tree he was sitting on and started lashing out at Crysaius with his knife. Quickly evading each calculated slash, Crysaius managed to remain unscathed from the attack. Avan then attempted a few unarmed strikes and knife throws, some of which landed on Crysaius, but he remained bound.

“Is this what you perceive as your challenge, Avan? I do not want to fight!” argued Crysaius.

“How about I take this to the next logical extreme?” said Avan, holding handfuls of throwing knives.

He then threw a barrage of knives, to which Crysaius quickly took cover behind a tree, which barely blocked the knives, poking through the trunk. The tree was suddenly cut in two by Avan with his knife, who stood bound ready to continue fighting. “You can keep hiding Crysaius, but you’re going to tire out sooner or later.”

Crysaius stood up and said, “Fine then, Avan. If you want to clash with me, so be it!.” He then unsheathed his sword and stood ready to fight.

Avan discarded his throwing knives, brandished his signature knife and said, “Right then.” The two engaged in an even fight, with Avan somehow able to fight against Crysaius’s longsword with merely a knife. Crysaius found the perfect opportunity to attack Avan, but as he attacked him, his body reacted to the impact of the strike, but disappeared as if it were a phantasm. Crysaius stood confused for a few moments, and looked around for a moment, but realized Avan had moved behind him, about to swing at him. With a quick reaction, Crysaius turned around and swung his blade at Avan’s knife, putting the two in a lock. Even in a clash, Avan’s knife didn’t even break, even with Crysaius’s attempts to use his powers to enhance the strength of his attack. The two pushed each other back after a few moments of struggle and remained ready to fight.

“What abilities do you possess, Avan? I’ve never seen such an ability!” said Crysaius in confusion over Avan’s strange ability.

“I’m not one to stupidly explain my weaknesses, but I’ll leave someone else to do it for me.” responded Avan as he twirled his knife. Avan’s ability was that he had illusion copies of himself at his disposal, which he can use to take an attack while he repositioned himself, as a double to throw knives or to increase the range of his melee attacks. However, if the double were to be hit, Avan suffers some of the damage it sustains. Additionally, his illusion abilities give him partial invisibility and at-will creation of throwing knives.

As Crysaius and Avan stared at each other in anticipation for their next strike, a handaxe was thrown at the two and struck a tree. The two stopped their fight to determine where the attack had originated from, looking in all directions. Shortly after, the two heard the sounds of a group of people closing in on them, albeit unorganized. Crysaius quickly realized that the group approaching them were what Unitas considered barbarians.

“Well, I forgot to mention that this place is full of small-group peoples out for blood. Sounds unfeasible enough for me.” said Avan as he left the scene by jumping away. Crysaius, hoping to warn Avan, realized too late that he had fled, much to his chagrin.

“Damn it, why would he leave at a time like this?” cursed Crysaius. The group soon came into Crysaius’s view, a group of men, all armed with axes and armored in light cloth armor. They all had expressions of pure indignation toward him, particularly due to his origins in Unitas. As they approached Crysaius remained cautious of the mob before him.

One of the men in the mob spoke up asking, “What’s a pompous Unitian doing outside his sanctuary?”

“He can’t be a refugee, can he?”

Crysaius spoke up to the barbarians and pleaded, “Please, I’m only just searching for people to help me with my quest.”

“In that case, you found the right people to kill you!” said a barbarian, as he readied his axe with the rest of his group. The barbarians prepared to attack Crysaius as he unsheathed his sword to fight them. Crysaius fended off against the barbarians’ axes, they clashed against each other. One after another, the barbarians were defeated by Crysaius in his endeavor. It seemed to him that there was no end in sight for the skirmish he had put himself into, but in such a dire time, all he could do is defend himself from the barbarians assaulting him. After a long, harrowing struggle, Crysaius stood alone from the ambush, exhausted and shaken from the amount of men he had to endure fighting against.

Crysaius panted as he looked at all of the men he killed, albeit he was less reluctant to reconsider his actions. However, he thought to himself about them, where they came from and how they lived, weighing heavily on whether their grudge against him as a man from Unitas was just. Crysaius knelt down on the bloodied ground, and took a short moment to catch his breath and think about his current situation and his next course of action. He felt a small relief from his survival, but his celebration was interrupted. A large and robust barbarian walked out into Crysaius’s view, uniquely armed with a sword. He had a long dark beard and wore on him furs harvested from some fierce animals, and wore the same light cloth armor his subordinates had.

He stopped in front of Crysaius, looked at the dead barbarians and acknowledged,  “So, you killed those men, just like any other Unitas soldier would.” in a deep baritone voice.

“They all intended to kill me, what other action could I have done aside from self-defense?” confessed Crysaius as he stood up to stand guard.

The barbarian lord sighed and shook his head. “You know nothing of what it feels to see your denizens be killed time after time by a nation fighting to “unite” everyone under one faith, rather than having everyone believe what they want without biases. Even then, look at what you’ve done. You once again demonstrated the ruthlessness of Unitas: believe or die.”

“I agree that His Conceptual’s agenda of bringing every man under his faith is wrong, but my ties to Unitas are not grounds to kill me!” argued Crysaius, now clutching at his blade.

“You can keep pleading all you want, but you’re not innocent from the acts of Unitas.” threatened the barbarian lord, as he unsheathed his own blade. Crysaius and the barbarian stared at each other, anticipating the other to make the first strike. The two charged at each other, and clashed. Crysaius tried to defend against the heavy strikes, hoping to endure the attacks long enough to find an opening to exploit. However, as he kept guarding each attack, Crysaius was tiring himself out from the force of the heavy hits. After one last swift slash, Crysaius was knocked down onto the dirt. Crysaius tried to get back up on his feet, but struggled to stand up, succumbing to the exhaustion from the previous skirmish and from guarding against the barbarian lord’s attacks. As Crysaius continued to struggle standing up, the barbarian lord walked over to the crippled Crysaius and prepared to finish him off. Raising his sword, he gave Crysaius his final words, “Here’s to another follower of that false god gone.”

Suddenly, a silhouette landed behind the barbarian lord and attacked him, jarring him. “What in the… !?” shouted the barbarian lord, angrily questioning his predicament. He turned around slightly, and the silhouette appeared in Dawn’s sight, appearing to be a coated man.

“Now that’s a silly way to end a story early.” said Avan, holding his knife in the back of his victim. Avan pulled the knife out, jumped back, and prepared to fight him.

“The illusionary assassin? Why would he defend a man from Unitas?” said the barbarian lord scornfully at Avan. The lieutenant lashed out at Avan, but Avan effortlessly dodged every strike.

“You sent a bunch of savages just to kill someone who’s just a part of a nation that killed your people? These are some shit ideologies I’m dealing with here.” said Avan in disbelief. The barbarian lord proceeded to charge toward Avan, but he quickly jumped back and brandished a handful of knives and threw them at him, pinning him to a tree he had lured him to. He then ran over to Crysaius, helping him get back on his feet.

“Avan? I didn’t expect you to help!” said Crysaius, surprised at Avan’s sudden help.

“Now’s not the time, Crysaius. We’ve got larger problems.” replied Avan. The barbarian lord broke out of his restraint, and looked toward Crysaius and Avan, standing ever more angered at them. The two ran toward him, brandished their respective weapons, and performed an attack in tandem, with Crysaius slashing with his energy around his blade and Avan cutting with his knife. The barbarian lord stood still after the attack, and after succumbing to the grievous wounds, he uttered, “... So, this is the zeal you possess to use against your false god? I only… bid you luck in your endeavor...” He then fell silent a short moment later, his life ended from the attack.

After resting for a short moment and honoring the barbarian’s last manners, Crysaius mended himself and turned to Avan, now that he was within his sight.

“I can’t thank you enough Avan for saving and helping me. I don’t know how I would have lived.” thanked Crysaius.

“Don’t mind it, I’m just doing what the story tells me to do.” replied Avan as he leaned against a tree, still acting deadpan.

“But... about that one fight you challenged me to?” asked Dawn reluctantly.

“That? That’s not important now that this part of this forest looks like a bloodbath.” replied Avan.

“So… does this mean you will join my quest to find the Disciples?” questioned Crysaius, hoping Avan will agree. 

Avan thought for a moment, and responded, “Why the hell not, you’ve proved yourself worthy in my terms. And you’re not too bad in fights.” Crysaius and Avan then shook hands, and continued on to find the Disciples. Avan began to walk and added, “Also, I’ll show you the way out of this forest. This place’s already drab enough.” As the two walked off on their newfound camaraderie, Crysaius asked Avan a question.

“By the way Avan… What is this ‘story’ you’re criticizing?”

“Have you heard of something called the fourth wall?”

“... No, what is it?”

“Forget it, I can’t explain it all, the chapter’s over.”


	9. Chapter 9

A week had passed since Crysaius’s departure from Unitas, and now had his first Disciple join him, Avan Ilern, and the two continued their quest to seek the Disciples to stop His Conceptual’s agenda. The two walked out on a dirt road in a field, with seemingly no end to the grass in the distance. The skies above them were somewhat clear, but the chilling winds of late autumn still blew about. Crysaius and Avan looked around, hoping to find a town to rest in and hopefully find the next Disciple.

“So, who is the next Disciple we’ve yet to encounter?” asked Avan.

“I am unsure of who the next Disciple is, but all I know is that the next Disciple is an ‘artist of creation.’” responded Crysaius.

“Well, that should be an easy person to find.” responded Avan sarcastically.

After hours of searching and walking, not a single town was found, except for more grass and road. The day ahead of them seemed it would not be hindered by weather, but their only concern was finding a settlement to rest at. After a period of walking they saw in the distance someone standing.

“Hey Avan, I see someone over there, should ask him for directions?” said Crysaius.

“I suppose that’s better than walking aimlessly for a few more hours.” replied Avan, deadpan as ever. The two approached the person, hoping to ask him for directions. Upon approaching him, the person appeared to be a young man, most likely a year younger than Crysaius. He wore a dusty brown beret on his light brown hair and a light green sweater. He had on his back what appeared to be a stave, which had the shape of a large paintbrush. He seemingly did not notice the two, being deep in thought and actively painting on the canvas.

“Excuse me, do you happen to know where the nearest settlement is?” questioned Crysaius as he walked up to him.

The man turned to look at Crysaius and said, “Oh, visitors? I have not seen many around here.” in a thick accent. He then resumed painting on the canvas.

“Are you going to give us any directions to a settlement? We could use some rest.” asked Crysaius again.

“I will show you, but I must finish this piece first.” continued the young man.

“Oh great, waiting and filler writing.” complained Avan. Crysaius and Avan watched the artist make careful and calculated strokes. As they continued to observe his paint strokes, the scenery in front of them appeared on the canvas, slowly being painted by the man. Light blue fading to white acted as the skies, with autumnal shades of orange and yellow acting as the foliage, and many other colors appeared on the canvas on minute details. Within a minute the canvas was filled, presenting a picture of the field in front of the artist, complete with every detail he added, such as some birds flying out in the distance. Crysaius looked upon the work with intrigue, even happily commending the young man on his display of art.

The artist sighed a breath of relief, “Ah, life is portrayed by art as we live it.” He took his finished work and art supplies and looked toward the two and said, “Now, I shall lead you to the town nearby.” The two followed the artist, walking along the identical dirt road and field. 

“If it is not too impolite, but what is your name?” asked Crysaius.

“My name is Joseph Rolesen, I respect art as our expression of life! It is our soul and spirit!” responded the artist jovially.

“Is your respect for art just something you like to flaunt?” quipped Avan.

After several minutes of walking, a town appeared in the distance. “Over there is my hometown, Fabricus. I’ll give you some rest there.”

The walls of Fabricus were not as heavily guarded as Unitas’s, but they appeared to be of a clean stone. The town itself was quite upscale, the roads and buildings were almost entirely brick or stone. Black lamps stood at the sides of roads, unfamiliar to Crysaius. In fact, many aspects of Fabricus were unknown to Crysaius and Avan. Joseph proceeded to tell the two about these unknown structures, with Crysaius being intrigued and Avan giving no regard for them. Crysaius however, still felt very unsure of his understanding of the outside world, even with some information given by Joseph.

The three finally arrived at a small house on the outside of a street road, which appeared almost indistinguishable from the stores that also lined the sides of the road.

Joseph turned to Crysaius and Avan and said, “Well, this is my home. Shall we go inside?”

“I expected less, but I guess this works.” said Avan as he looked at the dwelling. Joseph opened the door for the two, afterwards they took in their surroundings. The interior was quite drab, vaguely resembling a home at all. The floor was only wooden and scattered with dried paint. Joseph hung up his latest creation on a wall filled with his other creations, admired it for a few moments and sat down on a chair.

He sighed and said sadly, “I created art throughout my entire life and they’re all worthy of praise, and I’m pretty much a bum with a talent that brings me nowhere.” He then looked toward the two, and apologized, “I’m sorry for going off there. So, what are you two doing walking out on the outskirts of Fabricus?”

“I have one question, what is that staff you have?” questioned Crysaius as he pointed at the staff on Joseph.

Joseph took the staff from his back, and showing it to the two says, “This… is my staff that I use to channel my abilities!” He twirls it around and rests it on his shoulder and added, “It is how I unleash my art.”

Avan joined in on the conversation, “So I’m assuming you can cast magic from that?”

“Exactly!” Joseph interjected as his staff emitted fire and other elements. Crysaius and Avan watched as Joseph swung his staff around, emitting different elements with streaks comparable to his painting. “With my powers, I can freely use the heat of flames, the torrent of water, the tenacity of earth and the force of winds! That is merely a part of the elements I can harness!” After displaying his magical abilities, he then added, “Art is the fabric of life, is it not?”

“I would say so, too, if you can use such power, Joseph!” responded Crysaius.

Joseph then asked Crysaius one question, “By the way, why are you so interested in my abilities?”

Crysaius stood up to respond, “Avan and I are on a quest to find the Disciples of Conception.” However, just as Crysaius was about to continue with his statement, a loud crash from outside interrupted their conversation.


	10. Chapter 10

Crysaius, Avan and Joseph immediately ran outside, looking around for the source of the interruption. As they looked around, a man rushed right past them, carrying what appeared to be a painting.

“Damn it, thief!” yelled a voice from behind. Joseph, connecting the two scenarios together, interpreted the event as art theft and suddenly became angry.

“What do these thieves have to do with art? It is our enlightenment!” said Joseph before he decided to chase after the thief.

Crysaius attempted to stop Joseph, but was too late, and then ran after Joseph.

“Well, he’s religiously obsessed with probably some abstract art.” said Avan as he followed Crysaius in chasing the thief.

The thief had proven to be quite fast, easily outpacing Joseph as he tried to sprint toward him. Unfortunately, Joseph faltered and continued to feel anger for the thief for his crime.

“I… just want… that thief to respect art...” panted Joseph.

Crysaius and Avan then caught up to Joseph, as Crysaius tried to help Joseph up, Avan said to Joseph, “Are you going to be a basket case for this entire adventure?”

While Joseph was standing up, another man dashed right past Crysaius and Avan as they helped him up, surprising the two. The thief looked behind himself and tried to run faster, hoping to sprint fast enough to outrun him. However, he did not consider what was above him, as the man leapt high into the air over him and landed in front of him.

“Your attempt at thievery is uncommendable in the eyes of the law!” proclaimed the man to the thief. Crysaius, Avan and Joseph eventually caught up to where the thief was caught and examined the man that pursued the thief. The man seemed to be a part of the law enforcement of Fabricus, which was evident in his hat, being a black brimmed cap. He was fairly young, albeit notably older than Crysaius and Avan. His hair was long and dark brown, but was arranged in a ponytail. He wore a grayish blue dress shirt under a vest, complete with a tie. The policeman had the thief restrained, and as some more policemen arrived at the scene, he handed the thief off to them.

“Tch, making things look easy for you again?” said another policeman to him, as he chuckled. The policeman noticed Crysaius and the others and walked up to them. He then looked at Joseph and said, “Oh hey, it’s you, Joseph Rolesen. Been trying to accost art theft blindly?”

“I have not, I just want art to be appreciated.” replied Joseph.

“If all you’re doing is presenting art as something wonderful to me, maybe you should get a better role.” chided the policeman.

Crysaius walked up to the policeman and asked, “I commend your efforts in keeping the law, may I ask your name?”

The policeman, unsheathing his rapier, said proudly, “I… am Guy Recaden. Harbinger of unerring justice!”

“Well, that’s a flashy way to introduce yourself.” said Avan.

“Wait…” said Crysaius, checking his Notio. “... A man of unerring justice… Another disciple!”

“What’s this ‘disciple’ nonsense you’re spouting about there?” questioned Guy.

“You may want to follow us, Guy. There’s much to be said.” beckoned Crysaius.


	11. Chapter 11

Crysaius and Avan walked back to Joseph’s abode with Joseph and Guy, whom was happy to see visitors.

“Heh, quite interesting to see visitors in Fabricus. Mind if I ask the names of you two?” asked Guy to Crysaius and Avan.

“I’m Crysaius Dawn, and this is Avan Ilern. I met Avan in a forest nearby, but I come from Unitas. Have you heard of that town?” said Crysaius.

Guy sighed, “Nope, I do not know of that place.”

“Speaking of that encounter with that thief, Fabricus has some crime. Generally it ranges from petty thievery to muggings.” lectured Guy to Crysaius and Avan.

“Since when is art thievery ‘petty?”” argued Joseph.

“Nobody asked you, pretent.” responded Guy.

Guy then looked at Crysaius and Avan, “Say, what are you two’s experience in fighting? Might help you a bit against some of the more physical miscreants.”

“I have some training in swordplay.” responded Crysaius.

Acting indifferent, Avan responded, “I have skills in knives.”

As the group continued on their way back, they walked past an alley that had a young mugger, probably around the age of Crysaius or Avan, beckoning the group.

“Hey! One of you arses! Come on! Fight me!” he beckoned. The mugger wore clothing dissonant with the rest of the people of Fabricus, one article being a black cap.

“Just ignore these muggers, they stop when left alone.” whispered Guy to Crysaius.

“Oi! You there! In the coat!” he yelled, pointing at Avan just as they were attempting to leave.

Avan sighed and walked towards the mugger, “Alright, what are you going to annoy me with?”

“Avan? What are you getting yourself into?” warned Guy.

“You just stand back.” responded Avan.

Crysaius, Joseph and Guy stayed back, watching Avan walk towards the mugger, like two gladiators preparing to fight. The mugger showed arrogance in his steps, while Avan displayed indifference, as if the fight was just a conversation.

The mugger, cracking his knuckles, said, “Now before you can fight me, you gotta ante sumthin’.”

Avan brandished his knife from its sheath and responded, “I’ll ante my knife.”

“What’s so special ‘bout it?” questioned the mugger. Avan demonstrated his knife’s sharpness by effortlessly cutting a metal pipe on the wall with a single quick swing. The mugger smirked and said, “Alright, time for the rough and tumble!”

Joseph, looking at the oncoming fight, showed worry for Avan.

Guy turned over to Crysaius and said, “Your friend doesn’t know what he’s getting into.”

Crysaius responded, “I know Avan might have gotten into a fight to prove an arrogant person wrong, but I have confidence in Avan’s skills.” Guy looked at Crysaius with great concern, but eventually proceeded to spectate the fight between Avan and the mugger.

The mugger lunged towards Avan with a punch, but he dodged swiftly. In response, the mugger kept throwing punches at Avan, with none of them landing on him. Avan seemingly chose not to use his knife at all in the fight and kept dodging every single attack from the mugger. The mugger started to intensify his attacks, but Avan kept dodging his punches.

The mugger taunted, “Are you gonna fight or are you gonna waltz like a fool?!” However, after the mugger threw a certain punch, Avan found an opening in the mugger’s defense. He lifted his leg in the air and slammed it onto the mugger’s shoulder, bringing the mugger to the ground in a single strike. The mugger tried to get back up, but dropped back down, being winded from the hit.

Avan stood over his opponent and looked at him, “I never asked about your ante, so I’ll just be taking this,” he said as he picked up the mugger’s black cap lying on the ground in front of him. He then donned the cap, adding it to his appearance and said to the groveling mugger, “If you’re going to mess with me and my comrades, do so with actual forethought.” He then walked back to the rest of the group, with Crysaius and Joseph applauding Avan’s display of combat. Guy on the other hand, remained steadfast, but showed intrigue.


	12. Chapter 12

The group was soon sitting in Joseph’s abode, now free of any other minor setbacks. Avan however was leaning on the wall, but still listening in on the conversation.

“Apologies for the many setbacks, what questions do you have?” asked Joseph.

“I’ll start with a minor one, why do you and Guy hate each other?” said Crysaius.

Guy sighed and said, “I didn’t agree with Joseph’s view of art, and for some reason it turned into bad blood.”

“It would’ve turned out better had you respected it!” said Joseph angrily, with Guy ignoring him.

“Well, that was a great explanation.” said Avan.

“How closely do you follow the law, Guy?” asked Crysaius.

“It is my duty to uphold the law! There’s a reason why I am part of the law enforcement.” responded Guy in a proud tone.

“I never asked, but what combat experience do you have if you questioned us about ours?” asked Crysaius.

Guy brandished his rapier, “I’m quite swift, ideal for a blade like a rapier. You did see my display of speed earlier, yes?”

Crysaius prepared to request Joseph and Guy’s companionship and asked, “Do you know of the god His Conceptual?” Joseph thought for a moment, seemingly recognizing the name while Guy only looked at Crysaius weirdly.

“Can you explain who this His Conceptual is? He sounds familiar.” requested Joseph.

“He is the god that created the land we live on, and tried to spread his knowledge through the Disciples but failed. For some reason, they’re destined to defeat His Conceptual and free everyone from his agenda… and you two and Avan are a part of the Disciples.” lectured Crysaius. Joseph showed some understanding of Crysaius’s explanation of His Conceptual, while Guy kept his look toward Crysaius.

Guy responded, “I… still have no idea who he is. What are you trying to get us to do here and why should I leave my position in Fabricus for this?”

“I am requesting that you two join me and Avan in following our quest to defeat His Conceptual.” asked Crysaius. Joseph and Guy thought for a few moments, unsure whether they have the ability to take part in a strange destiny to defeat a god.

“I will join your quest, Crysaius.” said Joseph confidently.

Guy stood up and didn’t act as confident as Joseph but said, “I’m not necessarily saying no, but I am skeptical of this conflict.”

“Wait, why not, Guy?” responded Crysaius in confusion.

“Unless I see proof that this is a real threat and you aren’t just some strangers wandering the land just to trick certain people to go on this silly quest, then I will consider joining you.”

Joseph showed offense to Guy’s response and said, “You’re just saying that just to show your narrow protection of the people, Guy!”

“I made my decision, Joseph, and I don’t feel like listening in on whatever things you’ll say to change it.” finished Guy as he went to exit Joseph’s house.

Just before Guy reached the door, screams were heard outside. The four quickly exit Joseph’s home and saw that the Convia Guard was attacking Fabricus.

“Well, there’s your proof, Guy.” said Avan.


	13. Chapter 13

“... These… these are what you were talking about…?” said Guy, in disbelief of what he was witnessing. To Joseph and Guy, they were only an artist and constable that only ran their lives as they were, but upon the sight of seeing their town being attacked by Unitas soldiers, they were stricken with the resolve to fight back. The four were quickly accosted by some soldiers, but they confidently stepped into battle with their weapons ready. Crysaius cleaved through soldier after soldier with his sword, while Avan ran past the soldiers, throwing knives and stabbing any soldiers that got near him.

Guy looked at the soldiers around him and threatened, “If you’re supposed to be warriors of ‘the path of god’... you’re very mistaken!” as he unsheathed his rapier and started doing swift strikes. Joseph shared Guy’s anger, and used his staff to cast various elements to strike upon the soldiers. The two never anticipated such an event, but even in a time of conflict, Joseph and Guy’s animosity still surfaced. Even as Joseph tried to help Guy by defending him from attacks from behind, Guy still had the audacity to chide him on Joseph’s attempts at protecting him. While Guy was thrusting his rapier and on occasion performing unarmed attacks on soldiers, a streak of flames brushed behind Guy and scorched some soldiers that were about to attack Guy from behind. Guy turned around and saw Joseph, who launched the spell that protected him.

“You should be fortunate that I protected you, Guy.” said Joseph.

“Look, I’m not going to comment on your efforts to help me, but there are much greater issues than our bad relationship.” responded Guy as he prepared himself for attacks.

“Even in bloodshed you still have the audacity to disregard me?” yelled Joseph in anger. As the two displayed their enmity, born from what may be to others a silly subject, the two had completely different ideals, Joseph’s slow and calculated methods and Guy’s hot-blooded and aggressive style. However, during the two’s short quarrel, they quickly realized that they were soon surrounded by numerous soldiers from the Convia Guard. The two both took a defensive stance, seemingly agreeing with each other. Joseph looked at Guy and said, “This is an unfortunate time we have entered because of our feud, is it?”

Guy groaned and replied, “Well, if we’re going to have to put aside our silly arguments just to defend ourselves, our new friends and our home, so be it.” Joseph brandished his staff and prepared a spell as Guy dashed forth to engage the soldiers now upon them.

Meanwhile, Crysaius and Avan reunited after they cleared through the soldiers attacking them, but were interrupted by a familiar person to Crysaius. A robed man walked forth holding a tome. He then shifted his interest from his tome to Crysaius and smirked.

“Now about that question you wanted to ask me, Crysaius...” said the robed man.

“I didn’t expect to see you here, much less fighting, Tribonian.” responded Crysaius. Tribonian was the jurist of Unitas, a man distinguished by his light blue robes and light brown hair, bordering on orange. He was in fact, the one who created all of the laws of Unitas, almost down to rewriting an entire outdated law system with hundreds of years of complications to work more effectively in the current society of Unitas. Many denizens of Unitas described him as a “man who would repeal a law, given that one would buy it from him, and also mad from his powers.”

“Well, I didn’t expect you to leave Unitas just to go about some journey to stop His Conceptual now.” said Tribonian in a polite tone. He opened his tome and read, “The law of His Conceptual, and Unitas as a whole, states that leaving the confines of Unitas is ‘disavowing’ His Conceptual, which is punishable by death.”

“That sounds like a law only you could have enacted with your insanity, Tribonian.” replied Crysaius angrily.

Tribonian chuckled at Dawn’s retort, “Oh, it doesn’t matter now that we’re beyond Unitas’s bounds and in bloodshed, I have other ways to handle with you villains...”

Avan, standing up to fight alongside Crysaius said, “How are you going to fight us? With litigious action?”

“Oh, I don’t need the law to fight you fools...” said Tribonian as his other hand started to radiate with energy. “...I have my powers… POWER BORN FROM MY DEVOTION!” threatened Tribonian. Crysaius and Avan prepared to defend themselves as Tribonian casted a sphere of arcane power toward them. Crysaius and Avan jumped away from the spell’s blast and Tribonian stepped toward the two and said in an unstable tone, “What’s the matter, Dawn? My devotion knows no bounds to my INSANITY!”

“Damn, what is with this asshole? Sounds like he needs to step off whatever he’s devoted to.” said Avan.

“We’ll end his delirium! Avan, strike with me!” commanded Crysaius to Avan. Crysaius charged towards Tribonian while Avan attacked from above. Crysaius channeled his energy into his blade and slashed and Avan dove with his knife, both aimed towards Tribonian. Both of the attacks struck Tribonian, both drawing blood.

Tribonian stood bound, quietly laughing, which soon became maniacal, “IS THAT ALL YOU CAN MUSTER?! I EXPECTED MORE!” Crysaius and Avan continued to slash at Tribonian as more energy surrounded Tribonian. He then conjured a blade in his open hand and swung it at Crysaius and Avan, significantly wounding the two and knocking them back. Tribonian slowly walked towards the two, still laughing and bleeding, said, “It’s a sad thing that your adventures have ended here… BUT NOT TO ME!”. Crysaius and Avan barely stood up from his attack, but they were quite injured from the attack. The two however, were uncertain how they can fight back against the insane jurist. Tribonian, despite his noticeable injuries, shambled toward Crysaius and Avan with an expression of pure psychosis mixed with his laughter. A bolt of fire struck Tribonian in the head, staggering him for only a moment. “WHO DARES INTERRUPT MY MASSACRE?!” he yelled.

In the distance, Joseph stood pointing his staff towards Tribonian. Then Guy walked to the side of Joseph, but he did not deride Joseph. Tribonian angrily looked towards the two and said, “Aren’t you two supposed to be arguing pointlessly?” he questioned to them.

Joseph and Guy looked at each other for a moment, and Guy said to Tribonian, “A conflict like this is not the place to argue trivial disputes.” Guy, in a single moment, ran up to Tribonian and started making quick strikes with his rapier. Tribonian had no time to prepare for the attack and attempted to defend himself from the attack.

“Damned fool… Leave my sight!” said Tribonian as he tried to push Guy away. Guy anticipated Tribonian’s shove and jumped off to the side to reveal Joseph, who was preparing an attack of his own. “... What? Impossible! How can you muster such magic?!” faltered Tribonian as he looked with fear. Joseph then unleashed a spectral beam that flashed numerous colors toward Tribonian out from his staff. Tribonian attempted to defend himself from the oncoming attack, but he was soon engulfed by beam casted by Joseph. The beam then dispersed, and Tribonian stood for a few moments and then fell to the ground, injured and burned. Guy and Joseph went over to Crysaius and Avan to make sure they were fine.

“Well, that bastard’s a weird one, but it was worth fighting all those soldiers before him.” said Guy as he helped Crysaius onto his feet.

“Are you two alright?” said Joseph as he inspected Crysaius and Avan.

Crysaius mended Avan and himself and said, “We’re fine, but I’m more surprised at how you two suddenly changed your moods about each other!”

“As it turns out, looking to how you and Avan were friends, a shared enemy can make a very good way to mend rifts.” replied Guy happily. After Crysaius and Avan ensured they were in good condition, the four walked toward the incapacitated Tribonian.

Tribonian was desperately reaching for his tome, while uttering some inaudible chant. Crysaius prepared to finish off Tribonian, but a voice was heard.

“Tribonian. Flee. You cannot win this fight.” said the voice in a calm, yet threatening tone.

“... Yes… His Conceptual...” said Tribonian weakly. Tribonian was then enveloped by energy that transported him away from danger. Crysaius showed some frustration, but accepted leaving Tribonian alive.

Crysaius looked to the sky and said, “Someday, I’ll defeat you, His Conceptual and make you realize your own malevolence.”

It was late evening when the Convia Guard had retreated, and the people of Fabricus began work to rebuild, and thanked Crysaius and his comrades for their courage. Guy now accepted the quest to defeat His Conceptual and announced to the rest of the police that he was going to depart. After receiving words of praise, Crysaius and Avan patiently waited for Joseph and Guy, who were now ready to seek the Disciples. A few minutes later, Joseph and Guy walked out from the walls of Fabricus and joined Crysaius and Avan in their journey.

The four looked to the setting sun with confidence, “Together, we ride as the Disciples!” said Crysaius, rallying his comrades. The Disciples then departed to continue seeking the next Disciples, returning to uncharted lands.

Joseph joked to Guy, “Now, about some art...”

“Please, don’t make me start kicking you, Joseph.” replied Guy frustratedly.

Crysaius opened his Notio to find the next Disciple.“Our next Disciple is to the north! Onwards!” said Crysaius, as the Disciples marched on.


	14. Chapter 14

On the same night after the failed attack at Fabricus, Tribonian walked staggeringly through a hallway, leaving a trail of blood drops as he went. He eventually reached a large set of doors and used what little strength he had to open the doors in front of him. After exerting more of his dwindling strength opening the doors, Tribonian entered a large chamber. The chamber contained at the end, His Conceptual sitting at a throne.

Tribonian continued to walk toward His Conceptual until he knelt down before him and said, “Forgive me, His Conceptual, in my failure to cease Crysaius Dawn’s efforts.”

His Conceptual stood up and walked toward the exhausted Tribonian and affirmed, “I will forgive your shortcoming, and I shall give you time to recuperate.” Tribonian stood up and proceeded to walk out of His Conceptual’s throne room. Before he left, His Conceptual gave one warning to Tribonian saying, “But you cannot believe in your madness forever, and failure will not be tolerated the next time I call upon you.” Tribonian, now frightened, hastily left the room.

After Tribonian left, His Conceptual gave an order declaring, “Cappadocius, to my throne room.” Shortly after His Conceptual gave the order, Cappadocius entered the throne room, albeit with some blood stained on his clothes.

“Apologies for the delay, I was getting a certain person unwilling to let go of his wealth to pay their taxes.” said Cappadocius as he brushed his hand over the bloodstains on him. “He was more willing once I revealed his wife’s change of affection...”

“I want you to go to Nordvegg, with the army. I suspect Crysaius Dawn and the Disciples are headed there next.” commanded His Conceptual.

“As you wish, His Conceptual.” said Cappadocius as he knelt and left His Conceptual’s throne room.

Shortly after Cappadocius left, Belisarius entered His Conceptual’s throne room and asked, “I apologize for intruding, but  the people of Unitas are in unrest, what shall be done with them?”

His Conceptual considered the weight of the decision, and after a few moments said, “Attack them until they submit.” Belisarius silently nodded and left to carry on the order. His Conceptual then sat on his throne and felt shameful, quietly saying, “Have I really become my own hatred?”


	15. Chapter 15

Weeks had passed since Crysaius and his comrades had departed from Fabricus, and winter had showed itself. Snow was around the Disciples as they trudged through frozen plains. However, to the Disciples, sense of time was lost as they continued to walk through frigid cold.

“Would a Disciple r-really live up N-North?” questioned Joseph while he shivered.

“I’m fairly certain! I just hope we can get through this blizzard…” responded Crysaius as he continued to move forward. The Disciples were slowly freezing every moment they spent out in the storm, but they continued to move forward.

“Thanks for stating the obvious there, writer.” said Avan while he wrapped himself more in his long coat.

“Who the hell are you talking to, Avan?!” yelled Guy in frustration to the cold. More time passed, with some Disciples losing hope in their struggle. Crysaius Dawn, with a spark of hope still within him, managed to get his comrades to move on. Hours passed, and soon after, one of the Disciples faltered. Joseph had fallen unconscious due to exhaustion and the cold. 

Crysaius walked over to Joseph’s body and lifted him onto his back and said, “I won’t let you fall in our struggle, we will endure this ordeal.”

Another indeterminate amount of time passed for the Disciples, it seemed all hope was lost. They were all moving slower, succumbing to the frigid environment. A silhouette appeared within the blizzard, appearing to be a grouping of large towers.

“I see… I see something, ‘saius...” said Guy, exhausted and cold from the long march. As they slowly got closer to the silhouette, it was revealed to be a settlement, but not like any other that Crysaius had seen. It seemed to take hours for the Disciples to get to the gate of the settlement, which had two guards standing guard.

“Are those... “ questioned a guard.

The Disciples slowly moved towards the guards, almost too cold to speak, Crysaius uttered, “Let us in...” before he collapsed with the rest of the Disciples. The guard quickly went to the collapsed Disciples, while another guard signalled the rest of the guards from the patrol.

“We found four travelers outside the walls, they’re suffering from hypothermia and we need to get them in medical care immediately!” said a guard into a speaker. The gates to the city opened, out which came guards that carried the incapacitated Disciples inside.

The guards dropped off the bodies at the nearest infirmary, where they were quickly examined for vitals.

“They still have pulses, I’m amazed that a group of these young people survived that long in the cold with little protection.” said a doctor, checking their heartbeats.

“What should we do with them?” questioned the guard.

“We’ll leave them here to rest, hypothermia isn’t cured quickly.” responded the doctor as he left the Disciples in their uncertain fate.


	16. Chapter 16

Blackness was all Crysaius saw. He was close to death, but he could not afford to give in. He had to continue his quest and life, for there were many answers he seeked. A slit of light shone in Crysaius’s sight, and his vision was clear. Crysaius slowly stood up and tried to get his bearings. He looked around and saw that he was in a clean, brightly-lit white room, with beds holding his unconscious comrades. Crysaius tried to wake them, starting with Avan.

“Hey… Avan? Are you still there?” said Crysaius as he lightly shook Avan.

Avan’s eyes slowly opened and he got up as well and said, “... Yeah, I’m still here, unfortunately.” Joseph and Guy were fine as well, however the Disciples still felt chills from their long march through the cold. Which was heavily evident in Joseph, who was still shaking and chattering profusely.

“Though a better question to ask is where are we?” said Crysaius. A door opened and a doctor and nurse entered.

“Ah, I see you are awake, how do you all feel?” said the doctor.

“We’re fine, but cold from our travel here. How long have we been here?” responded Crysaius as he shivered a little.

“You’ve only been out for the night and it’s currently morning.” responded the doctor as he looked at his wristwatch.

“Here, have some tea, it’ll help you warm up.” said the nurse, putting down a tray of tea for the Disciples. The Disciples each grabbed a cup of tea and started to slowly drink it.

“Ah, even in the farthest reaches of the land, there will always be tea.” sighed Guy as he happily drank his cup of tea.

“Can you tell us where we are, sir?” asked Crysaius.

“Locally, you’re in the hospital. As a whole, you’re in Nordvegg.” replied the doctor as he checked the temperatures of the Disciples.

“Nordvegg seems to be a… daunting settlement.” said Crysaius in an uneasy tone as he looked out the window. As he looked out the window, the snow was less aggressive, but Nordvegg appeared just as drab as they first laid eyes on it.

“You four look pretty unusual, where do you come from?” questioned the doctor.

“Some of us are from the southeast, but we are seeking a certain person here and we would like to leave this hospital as soon as we can.” replied Crysaius.

The doctor thought for a moment and said, “Well thankfully, you’re all in perfect shape to walk around in Nordvegg, if you wear a coat.” The Disciples all got out of their beds and got ready to resume their quest. Before leaving, one of the hospital nurses gave each of the Disciples a complimentary coat.

“I already have a coat.” scoffed Avan as he turned down the coat.

“You’re certain you’re not going to freeze with what you have, Avan?” said Crysaius after putting on his coat.

“Unless we’re struck with another frigid snowstorm out of nowhere.”

The Disciples left the hospital and stepped back into the cold air with confidence, now that they have protection against the cold. Nordvegg was very daunting indeed, towers made of an unknown stone where the numerous people resided reached high into the skies. Numerous people walk through the snow and frigid air, their destination unknown.  Even the attire of the people and guards were unknown, aside from being able to keep them warm. Looking left and right, Nordvegg appeared as a city of drab, lifeless labor, however mysteriously more advanced than any other settlement the Disciples had seen. The city was seemingly powered by lightning, a power that to the Disciples and the people they knew, was thought to be impossible to harness.

Crysaius took a deep breath and said, “So, this is only part of the world we have denied to lay our eyes upon?”


	17. Chapter 17

The Disciples continued to observe these unknown aspects of Nordvegg, ranging from the wooden poles carrying black strands to the strange weaponry of the guards. Guy, taking curiosity from how law was kept, asked a guard about his armament.

“Excuse me sir, what is that armament on your belt?” asked Guy while pointing at the guard’s belt..

The guard turned towards Guy and said, “It’s… a gun. Are you not from here?”

“No, I’m not. But that’s a peculiar tool to use to keep order. Carry on, sir.” added Guy as he left. 

The Disciples came together to plan their next actions.

“What’s the next Disciple, Crysaius?” asked Joseph.

Crysaius opened his Notio and read, “The next Disciple is ‘a tinkerer with the blessing of lightning.’”

“How are we going to find someone like THAT?” said Guy dumbfoundedly.

“I guess we’ll just have to ask people for someone related to electricity...” supposed Crysaius.

The Disciples then split up to ask the people of Nordvegg. However, the city inside was quite intricately sorted, as there appeared to be numbered districts that held the towers, called “apartments.” As the Disciples asked whatever people they can find, their responses ranged from “I’m trying to get to work,” to “I don’t know anyone like that.” The act of asking for the identity of a person to Crysaius seemed difficult than he ever thought before in this strange settlement. Meanwhile, Joseph was asking almost everyone he saw, with some people looking at him funny because of his accent.

“I’m just asking where is a man who can channel lightning!” asked Joseph to a group of people.

A man behind Joseph sighed and joined in on his conversation saying, “Are you looking for Victire Aeredis?”

Joseph turned around and said, “Is that his name?” 

“Yes, that’s his name, but I don’t expect he’ll be working with my company anymore.” replied the man as he continued to walk to work.

“Can you tell me where to find him?” said Joseph, hoping to get more information.

“He’s in Residential District 851. If you find him, tell him to get off his arse and get to work.” said the man as he moved farther away. Joseph, now holding the information he needed, ran through the streets to find Crysaius to inform him.

Meanwhile, Crysaius met up with Avan and Guy, hoping to hear their results.

“Any luck on finding the location and name of the next Disciple?” said Crysaius.

“Asked a few people here and there, all didn’t give anything good.” replied Guy.

“I didn’t find shit.” replied Avan. After the three shared their frustrations, Joseph came running to them.

“I found out the next Disciple’s name and location!” yelled Joseph as he ran toward the three. When Joseph reunited with the group, he was completely out of breath and coughing from inhaling the cold air of Nordvegg.

“Have you been spending the past several minutes trying to find us, Joseph?” said Guy sarcastically to the panting Joseph.

“What did you find, Joseph?” said Crysaius as he assisted Joseph.

“His name should be Victire Aeredis... and he lives... in Residential District… 851.” panted Joseph as he caught his breath.

“Well, we found where we need to go next. Crysaius? Rallying words?” asked Avan to Crysaius.

“Well, I don’t have anything to rally us, but it might take us some time to search through this city for Victire...” said Crysaius with some uncertainty.


	18. Chapter 18

Even with the location of the next Disciple, it was still somewhat difficult to find exactly where they were. All the districts in Nordvegg are sorted oddly, similar to a grid. The Disciples kept their eyes open, walking past each district seeing 500, 600, 700, and then 800. The Disciples steadily got closer to where they needed to go, until a sign saying “Residential District 851” showed. Entering the walled area, Crysaius and his comrades went towards the tall structure, which to Crysaius seemed unusual to live in, as back in Unitas he could at least be treated to a view of his town.

The interior of the apartment was drab, very little color was present. The lady at the desk looked at the guest book, and gave attention to the visitors present.

“How can I help you?” said the receptionist lady.

“We’re searching for a man named Victire Aeredis. Is he here?” asked Crysaius.

The lady searched the guest book then looked back at Crysaius and replied, “... He is present, but he’s never went out of his room since a few months ago... He’s in Room 326, if you’re wondering.” The Disciples proceeded to walk down the narrow hallways of the complex, occasionally climbing stairs. Shortly thereafter, a door numbered “326” was in front of the Disciples. Crysaius tried to open the door, but to no avail.

“Crysaius, not all people keep their doors open for anyone.” said Avan.

“Right, that was silly of me.” said Crysaius as he proceeded to knock on the door. Crysaius’s knocked on the door, but no sound from inside stirred. Crysaius tried knocking again, but had the same response.

“Well damn. How are we going to get inside?” said Guy frustratedly.

“For sure as hell we’ll be noticeable if we either break, lockpick, burn or arrest the door.” said Avan, who was equally stumped.

“And I got us this far...” said Joseph, showing defeat at his effort. Crysaius kept thinking on how he could get inside.

A meek voice from behind quietly called, “Are you trying to get to Victire?” Crysaius turned to the person talking to him, who appeared to be the custodian of the apartment. He stopped mopping and said, “I’ve known Victire for years, and I sort of feel his disappointment for what he’s done.”

“What has he done, then?” questioned Crysaius.

“He helped create an efficient system of electricity, which powers the entire city… But after working on such a great project, he was only met with disinterest from his superiors, almost treating him and his co-workers as subhumans despite their achievement. I can remember him storming out of his workplace and telling me that his existence has no meaning to anyone before he locked himself in his room.” The Disciples felt the weight of Victire’s position, and the custodian offered Crysaius a peculiar card. “Here, this is the key to his room. Just don’t give me news that he committed suicide.” Crysaius took the card and the custodian left, continuing his task of cleaning.

Crysaius used the key card and swiped it through the similarly-peculiar lock. The lock shone a green light, and the door was unlocked. Crysaius cautiously opened the door and his comrades followed.


	19. Chapter 19

The Disciples cautiously entered the room, which was very dark in contrast to the clean hallway outside. Strewn all over the floor were metallic components, all of them of with an unknown purpose to the Disciples. As the Disciples slowly searched this unusual abode, a room with more papers appeared before them. Crysaius took a closer look at the papers, all of them with printing denoting money and giant red letters spelling out, “UNPAID.”

“So this bum’s been held up achieving nothing and avoiding all of these bills?” said Guy, reading one of the pieces of paper in the many piles of paper.

“And I thought I had a bad living situation...” said Joseph with a tone of empathy.

Room after room contained mostly the same contents: metal parts and unpaid bills. However, one room was left unsearched, which seemed to have some sound coming from it. Crysaius knocked a few times on the door, hoping to get the attention of the tenant. No response was heard, and Crysaius slowly opened the door, as he had no other options.

The last room in the apartment appeared to be a bedroom, but it appeared to be the most untidy of the few rooms in the apartment. Though, one aspect of the room stood out, as the Disciples saw a man sitting on a chair, working on an unusual creation with an equally-unusual box emitting light beside him. The man had disheveled hazel hair, glasses that reflected the light from the screen and had a gray collared shirt and black pants attire. The man was apparently more interested in his creation than the group of people that somehow managed to get inside his apartment.

Crysaius walked up to the man and said hesitantly, ”Are you… Victire Aeredis?”

The man sighed and said disdainfully while still looking away from his visitors, “Yes, and leave me alone. If you’re here to drag me back to work, you’re not going to have any luck.”

“I would like to ask something of you...” requested Crysaius.

“The answer is a strict ‘no’, as always.’” replied Victire quickly.

“Tch, been a while since someone denied the call.” said Avan.

“Can I at least tell you my plight, Victire?” asked Crysaius, hoping to gain Victire’s trust.

Victire stopped working on his project for a second and replied, “Enlighten me, maybe I’ll be entertained by it.”

Crysaius began to explain his quest to Victire, “Do you know of the god His Conceptual?”

Victire replied as he added another part to his creation, “The name sounds familiar, but I don’t give a damn about gods, anyway.”

“He is a god that has started his agenda to purge everyone in this land who does not have faith in him. And I, Crysaius Dawn, have journeyed all around the land to find the Disciples, who are destined to stop His Conceptual. And I have been led to you, Victire Aeredis.” said Crysaius.

Victire turned his head and eyed Crysaius for a moment and said, “That explanation was so cheap, I could laugh. But I won’t.”

While Crysaius showed some offense to Victire’s statement, Joseph’s took interest in Victire’s project and said, “May I question what that is, please?” as he tried to get a closer look. The act infuriated Victire, causing him to raise his hand at Joseph and emit bright sparks of lightning from it. Joseph, now frightened by the threat, jumped back and the rest of the group was surprised at the sudden display of Victire’s power.

“Don’t you dare touch my own creation, you idiot. I don’t want another project of mine to be ruined from something stupid again.” said Victire angrily to Joseph as his hand kept releasing bright cyan sparks that terminated after a short distance.

“That’s… fine... I wasn’t going to criticize it...” uttered Joseph, still shaken from the threat.

Crysaius, now feeling a sense of hopelessness, says, “If that’s fine with you, we’ll leave you be, Victire.”

Victire turned back around to his project and said, “That’s fine, I’ll just keep living this drab life that urges me to work on things that I have no pride in. While I work on the many things I would actually like to work on, life will just make up some bullshit excuse to demoralize me. Your quest to stop His Conceptual sounds something I would join you in, but I just… can’t.” Crysaius and his comrades looked at Victire for a few moments, then quietly withdrew from his room, and eventually his apartment.

“Well great, how’re we going to get some work-depressed lightning social inept to join us, ‘Saius?” said Guy to Crysaius.

“Like I said, haven’t seen anyone deny the call to adventure.” said Avan, who was as puzzled as the rest of the group.

“What can rouse Victire’s inspiration, Crysaius?” asked Joseph to Crysaius. As Crysaius thought, banging noises and screams came from outside.

Crysaius then said to his comrades, “Quickly! Outside!” As the Disciples exited the structure, the Convia Guard had made their way into Nordvegg, and they were killing the populace and guards, who were better armed than the Convia Guard. Crysaius and his comrades readied their weapons, and prepared to fight.


	20. Chapter 20

All around Nordvegg, guards and people were asked the same question from the Convia Guard: “Where are the Disciples?” And every response was the same: no response but panic. A woman attempted to run from a pursuer, but was shot in her leg by a crossbow bolt. She fell on the ground bleeding and tried to escape, but was stepped on a man impeding her escape. The man knelt down to ask the woman questions, but the woman refused to answer.

“... No, please don’t...” cried the woman as she cowered on the ground.

“Now, tell me madam, where are the Disciples? Specifically Crysaius Dawn.” threatened the man as he knelt down to the lady. The woman tried not to speak, as she was in shock and fearing for her life. “Hm? Are you going to speak?” he asked again.

“I… I don’t know...” panicked the woman. The man grabbed her hair and slammed her face into the ground.. 

“Don’t lie to me, you selfish wench! Tell me where they are!” yelled the man angrily. The woman continued to refuse to speak, and the man slammed her face into the ground a few more times, leaving an imprint of blood in the snow. Afterwards, he then asked, “Now, will you confess?” The woman had no response, as she became unconscious after his tirade. The man stood up, took his foot off her and sighed, “Well, if you’re not going to say anything, madam, I’ll compensate it with something else...” He then took some slips of paper from the woman’s bag and examined them. “So, this is the money of Nordvegg? I’ll happily take it as tax, and your heart if you’re more willing...” said the man as he pocketed the currency.

Three soldiers of the Convia Guard ran up to the man and questioned, “Where should we search, sir?”

Showing frustration, he replied, “I don’t know! Go search those large towers or something, I don’t care.” The soldiers then left to follow his impromptu orders, and as they left, the Disciples walked out to see the man.

Guy said to Crysaius, “That man seems to stand out the most, you think he’s behind this conflagration?”

Crysaius replied, “I recognize him anywhere… it’s Cappadocius.”

The man turned around, revealing that he was Cappadocius and said, “Ah, Crysaius Dawn! Now, about those taxes you seem to have evaded...”

“Now isn’t the time, Cappadocius. Stop this bloodshed!” said Crysaius angrily.

“Oh, I’m afraid I can’t stop my business, along with the will of His Conceptual. Though you might want to take a good look at yourself and your quest.” said Cappadocius, standing bound.

“You and Unitas have killed enough people to not even look like saviors!” retorted Joseph.

“You going to fight us or extort money off us?” said Avan as he prepared his knives.

Cappadocius laughed, “Of course I’ll fight you four, on my own. And once I’m done… I’m sure you’ll make perfect serfs...” Cappadocius then suddenly revealed a crossbow and rapidly shot some bolts toward the Disciples. The Disciples quickly dodged the barrage, but some shots landed on them.

Joseph pulled out a bolt from the snow and examined it, which appeared to have a tip made of gold. He yelled, “Gold?! Why would you be shooting such a pristine metal?!”

Cappadocius, reloading his crossbow, happily replied, “That’s why I collect taxes, I can’t be separated from wealth.”

“Avan! Guy! Try to evade his bolts and strike from opposite sides!” commanded Crysaius. Avan and Guy, agreeing to the order, dashed alongside each other while dodging the oncoming bolts. Avan pivoted behind Cappadocius and prepared to throw a barrage of knives while Guy charged with his rapier. As Avan threw his knives, Cappadocius smirked and rapidly shot bolts, alternating to the sides of Avan and Guy. Avan and Guy were struck by some of the bolts as they attempted to dodge, but a few of Avan’s knives landed on Cappadocius.

Cappadocius, pulling out a knife from his garb, laughs and taunts to Crysaius, “These are your arrows, you urchin? I expected better armaments from your comrades, Crysaius!”

“And I expected you to be someone who preferred wealth equality.” said Avan as he pulling out a few gold bolts from his body.

“I’ll teach you to stop your greedy actions!” said Joseph as he prepared to launch a sphere of fire at Cappadocius. As a bright bead flew through the frigid air to Cappadocius, he swiftly dodged and flipped onto another part of the road while Joseph’s spell combusted behind him.

“Tsk tsk, even with your mere spells can’t match my skills.” said Cappadocius as he twirled his crossbow about.

“Crysaius, we can barely even hit this damn fraud, what other plans do you have?” said Avan.

Crysaius thought for a moment, and finally said, “We may as well fight with brute force.” Crysaius slowly walked toward Cappadocius with the rest of his comrades, their weapons ready.

“Heh. So you all want to waste your time that way..” said Cappadocius as he loaded more bolts. 

While the Disciples fought Cappadocius, the soldiers that Cappadocius offhandedly commanded entered Residential District 851 and saw the receptionist lady. The receptionist lady, seeing armed soldiers, immediately panicked.

“We demand to know the location of a Disciple.” said a Convia Guard soldier to the lady.

The lady, desperately wanting to live, stutters, “H… He’s in… Room 326…” The three soldiers then left the lady alone, leaving her scared for her life. The soldiers climbed stair after stair, until a door labelled “326” stood before them. The soldiers attempted to open the door, but to no avail.

“What’re you trying to do?” said the custodian, followed by an “Oh.” when he realized what he was up against.

A soldier held the custodian up against the wall and said, “His Conceptual wills it.” The two soldiers kicked down the door and quickly located Victire Aeredis in the same spot the Disciples found him in.

“... Oh god, Victire... I’m sorry...” weeped the custodian as the soldiers closed in on Victire. The soldiers cautiously moved toward Victire with their weapons ready, with Victire barely even paying attention to his peril.

“Disciple, you must die for His Conceptual.” threatened a soldier.

Victire sighed, “So, you’re one of those acolytes of that one god? Heard some stuff about you guys from these ‘Disciples.’”

The soldiers stepped closer, “Face death before your only god.”

“Hm, so you’re trying to kill me for not believing in gods? I think that Dawn person may have a point...” said Victire out loud. He then suddenly turned around and brandished his creation, a strange firearm. Victire shot three times, releasing cyan bolts of lightning that shocked the three soldiers attempting to kill him. With a newfound motive, Victire walked confidently out of his apartment for the first time in months. Victire turned to the cowering custodian and said, “Long time no see, Klaus.”

“Victire?” said Klaus dumbfoundedly. “Are you…?”

“Looks like I’ve found a cause I can get behind.” said Victire as he ran down the hallway and out of his apartment, ready to fight.


	21. Chapter 21

Kneeling down on the snowy ground, the Disciples seem to have met a battle of attrition. Cappadocius still stood triumphantly, twirling around his crossbow.

Cappadocius chuckled, “I expected more from such an idealistic and confident fellow like you, Crysaius.”

Guy, breathing heavily, asked Crysaius, “Saius, I think I have an idea of how to compete with Cappadocius.”

“Lay on it on my ears, Guy.” responded Crysaius, trying to stand up to keep fighting.

“You see that object there?” said Guy as he pointed to a handgun from a dead guard.

“Yes? What about it?”

“Maybe, if I could just use that while he’s distracted...”

Cappadocius stepped toward the exhausted Disciples, and said “You can’t delay your fate, and I shall be the one to put it-” Suddenly, Guy sprang forth and grabbed the handgun from the ground and attempted to attack Cappadocius with it. A loud bang sounded from the handgun, surprising Guy, the Disciples and even Cappadocius, albeit not as much. The shot from the handgun failed to land a shot on Cappadocius, most likely hitting a wall. The act of defiance from Guy caused Cappadocius a slight moment of confusion.

“Crysaius, what the hell kind of plan did you agree upon?” said Avan in disapproval of the plan.

“Damn it, I thought we could stand a chance against Cappadocius...” uttered Crysaius. Guy was fine, but shakened from the sudden knockback from the handgun he fired.

“That was a gallant attempt at trying to fight against my crossbow, but your attempts are all laughable.” said Cappadocius as he continued toward the Disciples. Cappadocius loaded some bolts into his crossbow and said, “It’s been nice knowing you, Crysaius, but your crusade ends here.”

As Cappadocius prepared to execute the Disciples in the bloody snow, a streak of lightning flashed over the heads of the Disciples, and struck Cappadocius’s arm. Cappadocius quickly retracted his arm, and yells in anger from the pain. “What in the eyes of His Conceptual’s was that shot!? Damn it, my arm!” yelled Cappadocius as he grasped his burnt arm. A figure walked through the snowy road to Cappadocius and the Disciples. The figure’s glasses glistened in the light as he twirled around a strange handgun.

Crysaius looked behind him and said, “Victire!”

“Now, let’s see how much you’re devoted to this ‘god.’” said Victire as he aimed his gun toward Cappadocius.

“Well, that was a quick change of mind.” said Avan.

“You’ve changed!” said Joseph.

“Now what the hell is that gadget...” said Guy, still dazed. Cappadocius showed anger and continued to fight, and picked up his crossbow with his other hand. Victire then stepped toward Cappadocius, ready to fight.

Cappadocius grunted and yelled, “You can’t end my agenda with cheap tricks, you heretic!” Cappadocius then quickly shot multiple bolts at Victire, which he reacted by shooting a single shot from his gun, deterring them. Out of bolts, Cappadocius attempted to reload his crossbow, only to have difficulty doing so due to his paralyzed arm.

“Come on now, drittsekk, you’ve been so shut-in from whatever ‘His Conceptual’ is, that you reject progressing technology!” taunted Victire.

“Lightning should not be controlled by the likes of you!” shouted Cappadocius as he shot more bolts toward Victire.

Victire dodged the bolts and prepared a shot and said, “And religion should be better interpreted.” He then shot a crackling orb of energy that soared through the distance between Victire and Cappadocius, which discharged before him. Cappadocius was caught in the blast and had burns on various parts of his body. Victire landed and walked to the prone Cappadocius and said, “Now, how about that ‘god’ that looks over you?” Cappadocius felt vexation at Victire’s heretical view and staggered as he stood up.

“I will let you and Crysaius live… but I will take your lives next time we meet...” said Cappadocius as he suddenly disappeared. With his disappearance, the rest of the Convia Guard in Nordvegg eventually retreated.

“Tch, that’s a cheesy threat.” said Victire.

Crysaius and the Disciples recovered from their injuries and walked up to Victire to commend him. “Thanks for the help, Victire. I’m surprised you now want to fight for our struggle.” said Crysaius, offering his hand to Victire.

Victire accepted the offer of shaking hands with Crysaius and replited, “Eh, don’t mention it. I’ve been looking for a cause worth living for ever si-”

“So you finally showed your face, Mr. Aeredis.” interrupted a man, walking up to him. The man was the person Joseph had found that lead him to Victire, albeit in a very cross mood with Victire, finally seeing an insubordinate before him after months of truancy.

“Oh, it’s you. My manager.” groaned Victire exasperatedly to the man.

“What have you been doing all this time? Devising a new project for the city or just making worthless projects of worth to you?” reprimanded Victire’s manager.

“Hey, at least I’ve done more than yelling at workers. I saved these goddamn guys, and by extension, this entire city.” said Victire as he pointed toward the Disciples.

“P-please forgive him...” said a meek voice, revealing itself to be Klaus. “I’ve felt Victire’s frustration, and I actually would-”

“Klaus, it’s fine. I can talk this out.” said Victire to Klaus. He then added, “You’ve sat upon a chair and lived your corporate life by telling workers what to do and what not to do. I’m tired of that condition. I may as well be doing better things such as right now than laboring under what draconian policies you have, and this group of people have showed me what I should strive for. Plus you’ve seen this city attacked by some zealous nation where they take some god as the only one that’s right, have you?” said Victire angrily toward his manager.

“Victire, you can’t be talking-” hastily responded the manager.

“It’s decided. I’ll be joining this man, Crysaius Dawn, and his friends on their quest to defeat His Conceptual, this so-called creator of the land we live on. And consider me saving Nordvegg my resignation, ‘Sir.’” said Victire as he turned his back toward his manager and walked to the Disciples. The manager felt insulted at Victire’s rebellious words and tried to chastise him, only to be overwhelmed by the city’s emergency task force arriving.

At sunset, the Disciples readied themselves to leave Nordvegg with Victire officially joining them.

“Welcome to the party, pal.” said Avan to Victire.

Guy walked up to Victire and held up the gun he had picked up earlier and asked, “Hey, you think you can teach me how to use one of these ‘guns?’”

“And end up injuring me?” chimed Joseph as Victire laughed. The Disciples prepared to leave, but Klaus came to Victire one last time.

“Hey… Victire...” said Klaus, weakly. Victire and the Disciples looked at Klaus, waiting for a response. “... Stay safe!” said Klaus as he waved to Victire. 

Victire smiled warmly and said “You too, Klaus,” and turned around with the rest of the Disciples and gave a farewell gesture to Klaus.

“Onward we go!” said Crysaius to the Disciples, as they walked back through the frozen fields, without worry of the cold.


	22. Chapter 22

Cappadocius walked through a hallway after fleeing from his failed attempt at killing the Disciples, holding his still paralyzed and seared arm. He mutterd to himself, “Damn that Crysaius… His luck can’t always carry him to victory…” He then searched his pocket to find a coin, at which he smiled at. “At least I can live another day to see my wealth.”

“Cappadocius.” called a divine voice. Cappadocius, being surprised, turned around and saw His Conceptual before him.

He staggered, “F-Forgive me, I could not stop them… One of them decided to help them at the last moment before I could finish them.”

“I will forgive your failure, but I have an answer I demand from you.” said His Conceptual in a commanding tone.

“What do you request?” responded Cappadocius.

“Why did you flee from Aeredis and the Disciples? Is it because of cowardice or a force that has went unnoticed by me?”

Cappadocius started to stutter, trying to hide his true intentions, “Wh-wh what do you mean? I fled because I was being overwhelmed!”

“I believe know why you fled, Cappadocius. You refuse to be parted from your affluent life. I know your role in Unitas is to collect the taxes of the people, but I have seen every wrong of your life. Mark my words, Cappadocius. If you engage in this misconduct once more, I will assure you will die a penniless and imprisoned fool.” Cappadocius now felt fearfully obedient to His Conceptual and slowly walked away to continue his role in Unitas.

A man walked up to His Conceptual and said, “I see you’ve struck quite some fear into that spineless coward.”

“What is it you request, Belisarius?” responded His Conceptual as he continued to look over Unitas from a window.

“We have successfully garrisoned soldiers around Unitas and I require new orders, specifically taking out Crysaius and the Disciples.” said Belisarius.

His Conceptual thought for a moment and finally requested, “Gather your soldiers and generals and head for Peitharch, to the northeast. I suspect the Disciples are well on their way out of the frigid north.” Belisarius silently nodded and left. After Belisarius had left the room, His Conceptual continued to stare off at Unitas, wondering if his acts are of what he would have done had he been a more benevolent individual. He disregarded the thought and departed to resume giving orders to his officials.


	23. Chapter 23

It had been over a month since Crysaius had began his quest, and he and the Disciples were well out of the northern lands, and could finally travel across the land without the threat of cold. The road the Disciples walked upon slowly became rockier, but they were able to traverse the road easily with only a manageable winter wind impeding them.

Joseph stretched his arms and happily said, “It’s quite nice to free from the brutal cold.” 

Victire turned to Crysaius and questioned, “So, where’s this next Disciple at, Crysaius?”

Crysaius opened his Notio and flipped a few pages and said, “The next disciple resides in a city called Peitharch, which is located in this mountainous area.”

“Well, how convenient. We seem to be in a mountainous area already.” said Avan, stating at the surroundings. The Disciples continued to walk the gravel path on the mountain and had no incidents. Every now and then they would rest for a few minutes and then resume their journey. After a few hours, still no city appeared on the horizon.

Guy sighed, “Ah, the joys of walking. It’s great to keep walking on this path that seems to lead nowhere.”

“Egh, I should’ve known I don’t last well when I go long distances.” said Victire.

“Hey, at least we’re not going to freeze to death.” said Joseph happily.

“Crysaius, you are sure that this city’s on this path? All we have here is a city of mountains and gravel.” asked Avan.

Crysaius kept looking forward, and saw what appeared to be the walls of a settlement. He then replied, “I see some walls. I believe this might be it!” Crysaius and the Disciples then ran to the city ahead of them, in hopes that it was their destination. After a few minutes of running, the Disciples stopped at the gate of the city, but were stopped by some guards.

“Halt! What is your business here?” said a guard to the Disciples.

“Can you tell us what is the name of this city?” said Crysaius.

“This is Peitharch, but why are you here?” responded another guard hesitantly. The Disciples were happy to know that they have reached Peitharch, but now have the problem of getting inside.

Joseph requested to the guard, “We would like to go inside, We’re searching for someone in Peitharch.”

“We cannot let any outsiders in, there’s a malady running about in Peitharch.” replied a guard.

“Well, illness or not, we want to go inside the city, this man is important for our quest.” said Guy, attempting to convince the guards.

“What does this disease do to its victims?” questioned Victire.

“The least we know is that it causes fevers, headaches and vomiting.” responded another guard.

“I heard it’s also transmitted by it going in through your skin...” added the guard, worrying for the Disciples.

“For the sake of brevity, we need to get in this city, disease or not.” said Avan.

“We’re not letting you in, we don’t want this disease to spread out from Peitharch.” disagreed one of the guards.

“We come from afar on a quest to search for a Disciple. That person is one of many who are destined to defeat the god His Conceptual, who is on his agenda to kill all who do not believe in him. I have led my comrades, Avan, Joseph, Guy and Victire through many conflagrations and ordeals. I am certain that we can handle the conditions of Peitharch in its current state.” said Crysaius, standing bound. The guards looked at each other for a moment, then looked back at the Disciples.

“We’ll let you in to find who you need, but don’t say we warned you about the conditions of the city.” said a guard while the other guard opened the gate.

“Well, that took less convincing than I expected.” said Avan.

“Time to enter a city of disease and whatever else it’s known for.” said Victire as he went along with the rest of the Disciples into Peitharch.

As the guards shut the gate, one of the guards turned to the other and said, “Do… do you really think His Conceptual is a real threat? Like, an actual physical god?”

“Don’t get yourself too scared; Peitharch scholars would probably be able to match anything what that god can do. But still, keep your guard up.” replied the other guard as the Disciples entered Peitharch.


	24. Chapter 24

Peitharch was a city well-known for its scientific research, but like the many cities outside of Unitas, they never ventured that far beyond their own walls. Normally, Peitharch was a bustling city of activity, every day containing a new thought from the scholars. But in its current diseased state, the city has gone silent and was instead inundated the sounds of the ailing echoing.

As the Disciples entered Peitharch, the gates shut behind them, enclosing them in a diseased city. Each Disciple looked around the city, and from the words of the guards; they were not lying. Numerous people around the city were suffering, ranging from the lofty nobles to the despondent poor. Many of the sick had swollen spots on their bodies and some even vomited out in the roads of Peitharch. Crysaius carefully led the Disciples around the many bouts of the ill until they stopped at a quiet area of Peitharch without any risk of infection.

“Right, so we just avoided a bunch of germs, how are we going to find the Disciple in this cesspit?” said Victire while covering his mouth with his shirt.

“Well, first off, we’re definitely going to stay together and hope that we don’t catch this disease.” added Crysaius, also covering his mouth.

“So, we’re going to walking around looking awkward in front of everyone?” said Guy.

“Better than vomited your organs out.” replied Avan.

Crysaius flipped through his Notio and added, “Well, the next Disciple in the Notio here is described as a ‘scholar of health…’”

“Oh joy, exactly what we’re looking for in the middle of this shithole.” said Avan as he went off with the group to find the disciple.

The Disciples then continued walking around Peitharch, hoping to find clues on the next Disciple. The stench of the sick and their byproducts were nigh unbearable and the streets of marble were dirtied by the residue of the sickness and dotted with puddles that the Disciples dared not to step in. Every now and then the Disciples heard conversations of the ill, hoping to gain some information. Some conversations ranged from groans of suffering to mildly interesting hopes of recovery.

One conversation between a few victims went about, “Did you hear? Peitharchian scholars are working on a cure for our malady.”

A victim scoffed and said, “The scholars should’ve found the cure since yesterday. I’m tired of this pain in my chest.”

Another victim added to the conversation, “Oh finally, a real cure. I wouldn’t trust whatever that ‘madman’ can muster...”

Joseph, showing interest to the conversation, walked up to the group and said, “Do you happen to know who and where this… ‘madman’ is?”

A victim coughed and said, “His name’s Aeacus or something… Ask the scholars, they usually congregate to the south...” Joseph felt confused about the strange comment about their next Disciple, but he relayed the information anyways.

“So, our next Disciple is… a madman, by the people.” said Joseph to the group. The rest of the Disciples shared his confusion.

“... How does that help us, Joseph?” said Guy.

“I... don’t think insanity is indicative of what we’re looking for.” said Victire.

“I think the people here are unable to discern insanity.” said Avan. Crysaius, however, seemingly wasn’t confused about the unusual comment. Avan turned his head to Crysaius and asked, “And why aren’t you confused like the rest of us? Is there something the reader is yet to know?”

Crysaius nonchalantly said, “Well, I expected these comments to rise up. The Notio does say precisely that the next Disciple is a madman,” as he pointed to a clause in his Notio. Joseph, Guy and Victire then looked at Crysaius even more confused than they should’ve been.

Avan adjusted his hat and sighed. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that book was written by madmen.”

Crysaius closed his Notio and said, “Well, that’s what the Notio originally said. But enough stalling, we need to head off to where this next disciple is.”


	25. Chapter 25

The southern sector of Peitharch was vastly different, appearing more developed in comparison to the filth the rest of the diseased people lived. Clean cobblestone paved the paths to marble-pillared buildings that housed numerous scholars discussing with one another, their conversations all heated and heavily at work for a cure.

“What do we have that can treat this disease?” said a scholar, asking for ingredients.

Another scholar piped up in the conversation and said “Numerous herbs, liquids and chemicals. Not a single one or mixture seems to alleviate the symptoms.” After his response, the group of scholars continued formulating possible cures. In the middle of a test, the Disciples walked into the building the scholars worked in.

Victire looked at the scholars and said, “Think those coated and or robed people are the scholars of Peitharch?”

“They look smart enough to me, let’s question one of them.” said Guy. The Disciples proceeded to walk to two scholars hard at work with some reagents.

One scholar quickly took notice at their unexpected visitors and requested, “Leave. We don’t want the Sanctuary of Scholars to be defiled by this disease we are all working tirelessly to cure.”

“We’re not here to intrude, but we come to ask for someone.” replied Crysaius to the scholar.

The scholar turned away from the Disciples and said, “The scholars do not have time for such petty questions. Leave before more people suffer from this disease.”

“We’re looking for a scholar named Aeacus.” said Crysaius, briefly.

Every scholar in the vicinity looked at the Disciples suspiciously for a brief moment, but then slowly went back to work. The scholar quietly whispered to Crysaius and the Disciples, “I’ll be forgiving of you, but go east of here until you find our living area. Just look for the most dilapidated housing, that’s where Aeacus lives.” The scholar then went back to work with the rest of his colleagues while the Disciples walked away. However, while they went to leave, the scholars were talking amongst themselves about Aeacus and their suspicions of the Disciples.

“I heard he harvested organs for his own leisure rather than experimentation.”

“Doesn’t he have the greatest ability to do surgery out of all of the scholars?”

“That’s utter bilge. He shouldn’t even be a scholar anymore after all of the malpractice he’s done.” Numerous rumors were transmitted back and forth about Aeacus, all about his questionable ethics as a scholar of Peitharch. The Disciples, in spite of the criticism against their next Disciple, continue on and leave the congregation of scholars.

As the Disciples walk down the paved road to the residential area of the scholars, Guy asked Crysaius, “I’m… not exactly sure if this Disciple, or this ‘Aeacus’ will be friendly to us if his colleagues seem to hate him.”

“Regardless of the opinion of others, we will talk with Aeacus.” said Crysaius as he continued walking.

“Hopefully you don’t come back with your arms lopped off and an organ missing, Crysaius.” said Avan. The Disciples walked past house after house, each of them looking identical. After several minutes of walking, a particular housing appeared before the Disciples. This house looked dilapidated in comparison to the rest of the well-maintained houses of the other scholars. the outer walls had what were years of uncleanliness and was starting to be overrun by ivy vines. Judging from the descriptions from word of mouth, the Disciples deduced that the house before them was Aeacus’s.

“Well, a strange home for what seems to be a strange individual....” said Victire as he examined the house.

“Alright, so maybe he is a madman..” said Avan after looking at Aeacus’s home. Ignoring the unfriendly appearance, the Disciples walked toward the front door of presumably Aeacus’s home. Crysaius took a deep breath and knocked on the door with his comrades behind him.

Moments later, a man opened the door and said with surprise, “Ah, visitors? Or the plagued?” The man stood at around the same level as Victire or Guy and wore a white coat, much like the rest of the scholars. His hair was of a natural brown, but had a shade of orange pervading through it. Lastly, he seemed to be wearing cyan protective glasses, as if he was in the middle of an experiment.

Crysaius responded, “We’re not the latter, but are you Aeacus Gamma?”

“That I am. Aiakós Gamma, scholar of Peitharch, at your service.” responded Aeacus politely.

“Well,  that’s a esteemed way of giving your name, Mr. Gamma.” said Guy. Aeacus invited the Disciples inside his abode, which on the inside was at the very least cleaner than expected, save for the countless scraps of paper holding almost illegible notes on tables full of lab equipment. Aeacus happily took the time to give the Disciples complimentary cups of tea, much to the delight of Guy. During this moment of relief, they all introduced themselves to Aeacus and had a short talk with him, being surprised he was not what the people of Peitharch described him. 

Aeacus glanced over at each of the Disciples and said, “So, a young man with the powers of the sun, a rather apathetic assassin, a ‘sorcerer’ of art, a lawkeeper and a man of lightning. Quite the interesting group I have here.”

“It’s surprising what weird things we’ve been through.” said Avan.

“I haven’t much visitors, nor have I gone outside in ages… What have you come to me for, in such a large group, no less?” said Aeacus as he took a sip from his cup.

“Well, I have two questions, the first one is what are you doing to combat the disease that’s rampant in Peitharch?” asked Crysaius.

Aeacus hesitated and his hands shook a little but finally said, “Well, for one I used to be a part of the Peitharchian scholars… I was one of their best scholars, being a great researcher and surgeon and well-versed in almost every single science… Yes… but then this malignant malady struck… and then… and then...” Aeacus stood up from his chair and looked Crysaius straight in the eyes with fury. He continued, “And THEN… I immediately went to work on researching this foul disease, looking at EVERY SINGLE book and notes I could get ahold of, I would stay awake for DAYS ON END searching for a solution… They told me to slow down and take research calmly… I disagreed and I started to work on LIVE subjects...” Crysaius and the Disciples had looks of discomposure as they saw Aeacus’s gestures became more expressive and his speech became permeated with laughter. “It didn’t matter if I harmed or killed innocent souls… the only thing that mattered was that I was making progress on defeating this DISEASE! But then… THEY DISCHARGED ME FROM THE SCHOLARS! And now… every moment of my life I’ve been working tirelessly to prove that I, AEACUS GAMMA AM WORTHY OF THE HIGHEST HONOR OF SCIENCES! LOOK AROUND, YOU ESTRANGED FOOLS! MY GREATEST EFFORTS BLEEDS FROM EVERY CORNER OF MY ABODE AND I!” Aeacus laughed maniacally as he violently threw his notes around at the Disciples, who were now actively trying to get out of Aeacus’s way.

“Okay, he’s already a madman, this bastard’s completely lost it.” said Avan, who was backed up against a wall with the rest of the Disciples. Soon the floor of Aeacus’s abode was covered with notes, and Aeacus was breathing heavily after his frenzy. He eventually came to and realized he threw his cup of tea at Crysaius, who was still sitting down, but shakened. Aeacus politely responded, “Oh! My apologies, I get too invested in my field of work. I should’ve said I have made a cure, but unfortunately, the scholars refuse to hear word of me at all. Do you want me to fix your arm, Crysaius?”

“... Yes… please.” said Crysaius, still shaken from Aeacus’s tantrum.

Aeacus took out some medical tools and carefully and quickly removed the ceramic shards lodged in Crysaius’s arm while the Disciples watched. After removing the shards, Aeacus bandaged Crysaius’s arm. In mere minutes, Crysaius’s arm was in perfect condition.

“Now I see why your ability to heal is unparalleled, Aeacus.” said Crysaius as he inspected his newly-mended arm. “It works almost as well as mine.”

Aeacus chuckled and little and said, “Don’t mention it, you’re not the first person I’ve helped. Oh, before I forget, what was your other question, Crysaius?”

Crysaius hesitated a little to respond, but finally said, “Do you know of a god called His Conceptual? You and the city of Peitharch may be in peril.”

“Hm? Ah, yes, I’ve heard word of that self-proclaimed god. I do recall he threatened us a few weeks back… I’m not sure if the disease was the threat...” thought Aeacus out loud.

“Do you wish to stand with me and my comrades in this struggle to end his agenda?” questioned Crysaius firmly.

Without hesitation, Aeacus responded, “Oh yes! I’d be very happy to assist you in your struggle! I’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this!”

“Don’t you want to stop the disease in Peitharch before joining us?” said Joseph. Just as Aeacus was about to respond, screams were heard from outside. The Disciples and Aeacus quickly rushed to exit and saw the Convia Guard attacking everyone, diseased or healthy.

“Why does this not surprise me?” said Avan as he shook his head.


	26. Chapter 26

Crysaius and his comrades quickly left Aeacus’s abode and drew their weapons to fight the invading Convia Guard, with Aeacus moving slightly behind them.

“Do you know how to defend yourself, Aeacus?” asked Crysaius.

“Crysaius, I spent my life learning science, not fighting!” said Aeacus in hesitation.

“Just pretend the soldiers invading are… new test subjects.” said Victire as he prepared to fight. The Disciples were quickly noticed by a few soldiers of the Convia Guard and promptly entered combat. Steel clashed on steel as Crysaius, Avan and Guy took out soldier after soldier with their melee strikes. Sparks flew as Joseph and Victire shot arcane spells and bolts of lightning at oncoming soldiers. The Disciples’ resolve was strong; as not one of them was damaged by any attack from the Convia Guard. However, Aeacus, who was wielding a bone cutter into battle, seemed to feel hesitant to fight, until some Convia Guard soldiers attempted to apprehend him.

Aeacus looked at the soldiers threatening him, “Lower your weapon, Disciple.” as they raised their swords to attack him.

“So… new test subjects...” said Aeacus quietly to himself. He then quickly swiped his cutter at a soldier’s face, blinding him, and then began to combat the other soldiers pursuing him. “I will happily accept these new subjects for my experiments!” said Aeacus gleefully as he proceeded to join the Disciples in fending off the Convia Guard.

“Well, that sounds like he’s happy with fighting.” said Guy as he was holding off multiple guards with his rapier.

Within the chaos, a well-armored man walked toward the Disciples, a middle-aged, battle-hardened general. The Disciples looked upon him and stood ready to fight, but Crysaius stepped forth to speak to the general.

“So, are you the one in charge here?” questioned Crysaius angrily.

The armored general responded, “Indeed, Crysaius Dawn. I am General Mundus. Belisarius told me a lot about you, saying that you had potential.”

“I remember one of the tenets of the Convia Guard being that no soldier should by any circumstance harm the citizens of warring nations, is this your idea of trying to seek us out? Attacking a diseased city?” said Crysaius.

Mundus sighed and said, “I’m afraid His Conceptual wills that everyone must submit to his divine law. Even if we have to torture every last innocent man, woman and child in the land.” The Disciples and Mundus continued to stare at each other, awaiting the first attack. Cries of the people of Peitharch injured and diseased were within the chaos, some even calling for help out of desperation. Aeacus, realizing that others are in need, became conflicted over who to put forth first, his new allies or the people he estranged himself from.

Aeacus quickly said to Crysaius, “I’m sorry Crysaius, there’s people in my need, I promise I will return to assist you!” and quickly separated from the Disciples. Crysaius felt somewhat agitated from Aeacus’s sudden leave, but proceeded to rally his Disciples to fight Mundus.

Carefully making his way around the chaos, Aeacus searched for injured Peitharch citizens. He found a scholar trying to treat the wounds of a large group of injured citizens, to which he quickly ran up to.

“Can I assist you in your operations?” said Aeacus breathlessly to the scholar.

The scholar turned around and his expression turned into shock and yelled, “AEACUS GAMMA?! What are you trying to do at a time like this!?”

“Out of my way and let me work, damn it!” said Aeacus angrily as he pushed the scholar aside and sat down with the patient the scholar was tending to. The patients caught one glimpse of Aeacus and frightfully tried to get away from him even in their wounded condition. The desperate cries of the wounded echoed in Aeacus’s ears.

“Oh dear gods, not HIM!”

“Anything but that madman Aeacus!”

“I would rather die from this disease or disaster than be a victim of this psychopath!”

Pushed over the edge with the sounds of people refusing his help, Aeacus felt anger, yet determined to save the people he sought to help. “Would you just stay STILL FOR A MOMENT?!” yelled Aeacus angrily as he grabbed a patient and proceeded to work on the wounds on them. Emitting a green light from his hand, Aeacus brushed his hand over the wounds of a patient and almost immediately the wounds were healed, to the amazement of the patient and the other wounded. Even the scholar who overlooked Aeacus’s surgery had an expression of amazement.

“I don’t believe it… I’m no longer bleeding… And from the likes of Aeacus!” said the patient. Aeacus proceeded to quickly treat the rest of the patients, and then prepared to run back to the Disciples. As Aeacus started to run back, a scholar stopped him for a moment.

“Aeacus, where are you going? There’s still numerous people to be treated!”

“I’m sorry, but there’s another group of people that need me!” said Aeacus as he then ran off to reunite with the Disciples. “Please consider my acts as something to think about!” said Aeacus as he ran off.

Meanwhile, the Disciples continued to clash with Mundus, with no side making any progress. Mundus proceeded to fend off every attack guided by Crysaius and avoided every projectile from Joseph and Victire. Mundus, realizing the imbalanced fight he was in called in more soldiers to distract Crysaius’s comrades.

“I know you have good leadership, Crysaius Dawn, but you can’t depend on commanding soldiers as a general. You have to at some point go into the field and draw steel yourself.” said Mundus, beckoning Crysaius to fight.

“... Fine then. I’ll put my comrades aside.” said Crysaius as he readied his sword. Crysaius and Mundus then lunged forth and began to fight. Crysaius seemed to have an advantage in agility, having little to no armor, while Mundus had an advantage in defense with his well-maintained armor. However, Crysaius could not put aside the safety of his comrades, which brought down his thoughts in battle.

In a single moment for Crysaius, Mundus took one slash at Crysaius, cutting his leg. Crysaius staggered back and tried to rest on a wall, as Mundus slowly walked toward him.

“I figured you had some reservations about your comrades, Crysaius. Even with your ability to command, you would still be a terrible general.” sighed Mundus. Crysaius tried to stand ready to defend, but could not due to his injured leg.

Mundus raised his sword and said, “This is where your farcical crusade ends, young man.” Crysaius shut his eyes, as he knew he could not recover from his situation quick enough, and hopelessly accepted his demise. In a single moment of carelessness, disguised as a moment of worrying about the safety of his comrades, Crysaius had felt he had lost it all. Mundus swung at him, and he blocked his eyes as his last break for survival. However, Crysaius did not feel the blade cut through him, and opened his eyes to see a figure who had taken the blow for him. Crysaius soon realized the person who had blocked the attack was none other than Aeacus Gamma. Aeacus fell to the ground, the wound from Mundus’s attack caused Aeacus to bleed profusely from his chest.

Aeacus spoke while struggling, “I’m… sorry that I couldn’t be of any purpose… to you... Crysaius Dawn...” Crysaius looked at Aeacus in shock as he perished in front of him, but filled with anger at the life of Aeacus taken away from him.

Mundus looked at his accidental kill, then looked back at Crysaius and said, “He was only an unintentional target, but he had a gallant moment trying to save you, but you cannot be saved by these coincidences.” Crysaius, regaining the will to fight on, stood up in spite of his injury. Crysaius looked at Mundus with a look of vengeance, determined to triumph for the sake of Aeacus.

“I may have gotten farther than I should have by your standards, but there’s one thing I’m going to assure, Mundus...” said Crysaius, as he drew his sword, ready for battle. “My friends and I will end His Conceptual’s agenda!” Crysaius clashed with Mundus with resolute anger, with Mundus barely managing to defend against Crysaius’s strikes. Not one side was showing weakness, which somewhat vexed Mundus at how Crysaius was able to recover from such an injury quickly.

“I’m impressed by your sudden recovery, Dawn, but I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: you can’t depend on your comrades forever.” said Mundus to Crysaius.

“We’ll see about that, Mundus...” said Crysaius as he jumped back from a blade lock with Mundus. After Crysaius had pushed Mundus back from their clash, a bolt of lightning and a sphere of flame flew toward Mundus, which caught him by surprise and both struck Mundus directly. Joseph and Victire stood behind Crysaius, confident and safe from their ambush.

“You might need more soldiers to take us down.” said Victire as he twirled his gun. Mundus angrily attempted to strike back, but suddenly, another figure impeded his attempt. A rapier was held up at Mundus’s face, held by Guy.

“Quite a silly quarrel you set us up in for a person that has disposable soldiers.” threatened Guy politely to Mundus. Mundus quickly blocked every strike from Guy narrowly, and prepared for a counterattack. However, Guy noticed Mundus’s intent and immediately jumped back once Mundus struck and revealed his gun and yelled, “Think fast, bastard!” and fired a shot. The shot impacted Mundus’s armor, which knocked him back slightly, but didn’t pierce his armor. Mundus prepared a swing to counter attack Guy, but was stopped suddenly as Avan swung in from behind and stabbed him with his knife.

“I’m not surprised you thought you could defeat us all one-by-one, but it’s a nice attempt at having us show off our teamwork again.” snarked Avan at Mundus, as he twisted his knife in Mundus’s back.

Mundus was ever more angered at his predicament and lashed out at every single one of the Disciples attacking him, managing to best the swiftness of Avan and Guy. Before Mundus could continue his attack, Crysaius stood before Mundus with his sword glowing with the blue radiance of the dawn.

Mundus angrily yelled at Crysaius, “This impiety you have created will be the end of you, Crysaius Dawn!”

“That will be yours and His Conceptual’s end!” yelled Crysaius as he dashed toward Mundus. Crysaius swung his blade at Mundus, cutting a wound on him with the searing azure light of the dawn. After striking Mundus, he slumped down and fell to the ground, succumbing to the injuries he had accumulated from the Disciples. The Convia Guard had quickly gotten note of Mundus’s death and had fled from Peitharch, ending the assault. Crysaius stood for a moment, tried to catch his breath and looked at Mundus’s dead body. He collapsed onto his knees after trying to persevere through the amount of damage he had taken, but his companions came to put him back on his feet.

Guy said as he and Avan helped Crysaius on his feet, “Well, you’ve given quite some effort for the struggle you’ve had.”

“I know we’ve gotten past the most arduous of our struggles, but we still have one issue at our hands.” responded Crysaius as he slowly recovered. The Disciples walked over to Aeacus’s body, where he laid motionless and bloodied. The Disciples stood in melancholy over the dead body of Aeacus, along with the citizens of Peitharch. Crysaius knelt down at the side of Aeacus and mourned.

Crysaius sighed and said to Aeacus’s body, “I apologize Aeacus Gamma… Had I been in a better situation in that skirmish, I would’ve been able to accept your help against Mundus. You may have had a place among us as the Disciples, but for now, watch above us in our quest...” Crysaius along with the Disciples stood silent for their loss, however, an unusual event happened. Aeacus’s fingers moved for a moment and his eyes slowly opened and he started breathing, albeit with difficulty. The Disciples and Crysaius and the people of Peitharch reacted with surprise as they saw Aeacus revived before them. “Aeacus!? How can you be alive?” responded Crysaius with surprise to this event.

Aeacus spoke with difficulty, “Heh… It takes a lot more than that to kill science, Crysaius… But I’m afraid it can permanently cripple me...” Blood continued to seep out from Aeacus’s mouth and wound, with every breath becoming more difficult. “I’ll be direct with you, Crysaius, I’ve always wanted the opportunity to help the people around me… seeing them commend me for my efforts in fixing their conditions... but now after helping others in dire need, you and your friends… I stand in the place of the people I’ve helped... ” he continued, with each breath becoming more difficult. He then chuckled quietly, “... Maybe now I can finally get the recognition I’ve deserved from the scholars...” After saying his struggled words, Aeacus began to shed tears, now that once again he has faced such a situation.

A scholar walked up beside Crysaius and attempted to give him some supporting words. “... We did indeed admire Aeacus for his efforts as a scholar, barring his methods, but seeing his ability to heal those injured in the attack made us reconsider our perception of him...” said the scholar, attempting to reassure Crysaius.

Crysaius turned his head toward the scholar and asked, “Are you able to save him from this condition?”

The scholar sighed, “Unfortunately, no. I’m afraid even if we treat Aeacus in his current state, he might not recover for quite some time or worse, die.”

Crysaius stepped forward and replied, “You might not be able to help him, but at least I can return a favor for him.” He then knelt down beside Aeacus, who looked at him quizzically.

“... Crysaius...? What are you...” uttered Aeacus as he slowly grew weaker. Crysaius put his hand over Aeacus and emitted a blue light from it.

“It’s okay, Aeacus. Much like how you saved me, I will save you in return.” assured Crysaius as he mended Aeacus’s wound. After a few moments, Aeacus’s wounds were closed and he was in perfect condition to act again. He then stood up and brushed his coat and took note of the people around him. To his disbelief, Aeacus was met with relief and applaud from the people of Peitharch, some even coming from the scholars that originally spoke against him.

The scholar looked at Aeacus and said, “We greatly apologize for disapproving of your efforts, Aeacus, although unethical, you’ve proven yourself a great physician, perhaps worthy of being with the scholars again?”

“I’ve decided against returning to the scholars, as I’ve found a cause I have found my place in.” replied Aeacus confidently. The scholar and the rest of Peitharch were met with surprise, as they felt without a great person, they would be worse off. He then walked off to prepare himself to leave Peitharch, and said to the Disciples and people of Peitharch, “I’ll be ready in a few moments, just wait by the west gate of town.”

The Disciples stood outside of the west gate of Peitharch, waiting patiently for Aeacus to join them. Several minutes later, Aeacus walked out from the gates, with a mended set of clothes, his bone cutter and some additional equipment to assist in his medical procedures in a bag he carried with him. He finally joined the Disciples and shook hands with Crysaius as the rest of the Disciples watched and accepted their new comrade.

A man walked out from the gate and called Aeacus, to which he turned around to see the scholar that forgave him. “If you’re leaving Aeacus, it would be a great misfortune to be without a mind like yours helping us with this disease...” said the scholar downcasted from Aeacus’s decision to leave Peitharch.

Aeacus smiled warmly and responded, “I’m not leaving Peitharch without first leaving a mark indicative of my efforts. Look within my abode and you will find my notes on the plague, and along with it, a cure.” He then turned his back on Peitharch for what may be the last time and walked off with the Disciples on their quest to seek the Disciples and stop His Conceptual’s religious agenda. As the scholar watched Aeacus walk off with his new friends, he now felt admiration for Aeacus, for what he had done and left his hometown with.


	27. Chapter 27

A large group of soldiers from the Convia Guard laid in wait for the results of the attack on Peitharch, with Belisarius waiting patiently for the aftermath. Eventually, he saw the soldiers of the contingent he sent out return, however with less men. After giving the men time to rest and recuperate he went to question them.

“What happened in the raid?” asked Belisarius hesitantly.

A soldier caught his breath and replied, “It was a failure, despite our efforts to kill Crysaius and the others, but they still survived.”

“Mundus came close to killing him, too. If only that scholar didn’t intervene to defend him...” chimed another exhausted soldier.

Belisarius showed a great amount of hesitation, but finally asked, “And… what happened to Mundus?”

“After he fatally injured the Disciple that defended Crysaius, he was quickly overwhelmed by his vengeance and was killed by him and the Disciples.” replied a soldier sadly. Belisarius felt anger, yet at the same time tried to hold it back. Crysaius was one of Belisarius’s personal students, training him in combat and physical exercise, but the act of killing Mundus was both a milestone of Crysaius’s prowess and a personal threat to himself and His Conceptual.

He recollected himself and exhaled deeply, and finally said, “While the loss of Mundus is a loss for all of us, we mustn’t spend time mourning. For not by numbers of men, nor by measure of body, but by valor of soul is war to be decided.” He then walked off and gave an order to his men, rallying them for their next move. “We shall march on westward to clash these agitators against His Conceptual!” shouted Belisarius to his men. He then stared off into the distance with a look of pure anger with a resolve hardened from his experience in war. The loss of Mundus, one of his finest generals and a friend of his, would not go lightly for Belisarius. He then thought, “Mark my words, Crysaius Dawn, I’ve taught you my strategies and art of fighting, the death of Mundus has brought me to kill you not just for His Conceptual or Unitas, but for retribution.”


	28. Chapter 28

After walking for a week and enduring the brisk winter, the Disciples were moving confidently moving on to find their last member. The days ahead of them have been favorable, as the late winter has brought them better conditions for their journey. The field they walked on still had snow, but their path was clear enough for them to follow.

Guy turned to Crysaius and said, “So, where does our next comrade wait, Crysaius?”

Crysaius spoke up with jubilance, “Our next and last Disciple awaits us in Tevapart, which is where we’re headed!” After Crysaius announced their milestone, each of them felt a small sense of celebration as they felt that soon they would finally be united and ready to stand against their main threat, His Conceptual.

Avan however, thought for a moment and asked, “Wait, I thought you didn’t know of anything outside of the walls of Unitas, Crysaius.”

“Well, that’s not entirely wrong, but I’ve read about Tevapart in some history books back when I was in Unitas, describing it as one of its former enemies.” replied Crysaius.

“Hopefully you don’t get killed by its guards on sight.” said Avan as he continued walking forward with the rest of the Disciples.

“Though, who is our last Disciple, Crysaius? What abilities do they have?” asked Joseph in anticipation.

Crysaius opened his Notio and flipped some pages and responded, “... A steadfast legate of statecraft and retribution.”

“Hm, so another one that upholds the law?” chimed Guy.

“Seems more like someone who makes and manages it.” replied Victire. After a few moments of walking, a town came into view. To Crysaius, it looked similar to Unitas, but it was more welcoming and did not have any imposing walls fencing its people in. From a distance, the buildings appeared similar to Unitas’s buildings, having tiled roofs and wooden structure, some of them even made out of fine stone  Upon walking to the vicinity of the walls, a guard took note of the group of people walking toward the town, curious to see visitors.

Crysaius walked up to the guard and asked, “Excuse me, do you happen to know where we are?”

The guard politely responded, “Tevapart, sir. Though, we haven’t had visitors, but feel free to stay for a while!” Crysaius felt a sense of joy when he heard the response of the guard, and quickly rallied his comrades to enter Tevapart. It had been months since they’ve felt a truly comforting settlement. The Disciples walked through the open gates of Tevapart and much to their surprise, it was a remarkable settlement to see, being comparable to Joseph and Guy’s hometown of Fabricus. The people around them were hard at work in their jobs and seemingly happily living their lives. The Disciples even went as far as to take a short break from seeking their next Disciple by exploring Tevapart, dabbling in its culture. Although everyone of the Disciples looked out of place in Tevapart, they were still met with occasional polite greetings and responses. After a few hours of exploring, the Disciples reconvened to assess their next move.

“Of all the places I could see beyond Fabricus, this does feel quite resplendent.” said Joseph as he looked at his surroundings.

“I’ve never seen such activity like this in Peitharch!” replied Aeacus as he felt overwhelmed from the town’s activity.

“Well, activity like this happens on a daily basis where I live, but here the people are actually enjoying life!” said Victire with surprise. As the Disciples tried to think about what they should do next, they saw the people of Tevapart walk in the direction of a single location, piquing intrigue with the Disciples.

Crysaius walked up to one of the people walking to an unspecified location and asked, “Excuse me, do you know what is happening right now?”

“Oh, you don’t know? The next Legate of Tevapart is being announced to all of us at the Hall of Magisterium!” replied the person enthusiastically before he resumed walking toward his destination.

Crysaius looked at his comrades, shrugged and said, “Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to see this event, would it?” The Disciples walked with the crowd of people for several minutes and reached the Hall of Magisterium, which had many people sitting in the outside seats, all of them greatly anticipating their next Legate. After entering the hall, Crysaius got the attention of an official with the event, hoping to get some answers.

“What questions do you have, sir?” asked the official.

“What exactly is the role of the Legate in Tevapart?” questioned Crysaius.

“The role of Legate is to preside over the debates of our two political parties: the Blues and Reds. While not exactly a leader, but more of a person who keeps order with our discourse, represents our government and has the final say on our policy decisions before they are presented to our actual leader.” explained the official diligently. After hearing the explanation, Crysaius thanked the official and went off with his comrades to find a place to seat themselves for the event. The hall itself was a large circular building that had numerous seats for any spectators. A large circle was in the middle, where the political party members were seated. While the Disciples searched for a seat, they luckily happened to conveniently find six consecutive open seats, additionally all of them were somehow close enough to the center of the hall for them to see the event clearly. Shortly after seating themselves, the center of the hall stood a mass of people dressed in blue or red, standing in opposing sides of the stage. A woman walked up onto the stage and began to address the audience.

“Fellow denizens of Tevapart, we gather today to bring to all of us our next Legate! The one who shall oversee the discussions of our representatives and decide for our government!” she announced to the crowd. The Disciples watched with anticipation, at the same time seemed to express concern over the event.

“Crysaius, what if the next disciple is actually the next legate? How would we solve that?” said Joseph.

“I’m not fully certain, but I am suspicious that our next disciple could just be the legate they will announce...” replied Crysaius, who seemed disconcerted.

“Well, let’s just see who it is and hopefully be able to plan out how to circumvent this regime.” chimed Victire as he waited. Every person in the audience waited with anticipation for the announcement of their next legate while the Disciples sat anxiously for whom they have to convince to abandon their role.

After a moment of suspense, the announcer finally announced, “The next legate of Tevapart shall be...” Everyone in the hall went silent as they waited for the name of their next legate.

“... Sigrid Lirenas!”, shouted the announcer while cheers and applause was heard all around. After the announcement, a young woman walked out onto the stage to show herself to the people she will represent and benefit. She wore a short-sleeved dress indicative of her higher class in Tevapart, colored white with green and yellow accents. Her hair was long and light brown, but arranged in a long ponytail to maintain a noble image. As she walked to the announcer, some of the members of the parties looked at her with disdain, looking down at a young woman looking over them and their debates. After the announcement of the legate, the Disciples reacted with slight surprise yet concern.

Avan looked at Crysaius and said, “Crysaius, you didn’t reckon our next disciple was going to be a girl, did you?”

“Uh… Not exactly...” replied Crysaius, who was stammering somewhat. Avan kept looking at Crysaius skeptically as he focused his attention to the event, where Sigrid was giving a speech to the audience and party representatives.

“Fellow denizens of Tevapart, I am honored to be one of few people in the history of Tevapart to attain the position of Legate...” announced Sigrid loudly to the people in the hall. Despite her lukewarm reception from the members of the Magisterium, she was able to rouse the people of Tevapart into supporting her role as Legate, as the entire audience in the hall erupted in applause. An hour after Sigrid’s speech, the event was dismissed and all of the people in the audience left to continue their day. The Disciples when they left the hall, were quite conflicted on their situation, as they have a member that is currently burdened with her role of government in Tevapart.

“Well, that’s great. How are we going to get her to abandon her elected role for us?” complained Victire

“There has to be a way to compromise...” thought Aeacus out loud. The Disciples kept arguing and debating on different methods of getting Sigrid on their side, but all of them if put into use would prove fruitless. Crysaius stood aloof from their arguments, trying to think of what can be done in this situation. He tried to think of any action he could do that would not result in vilification of himself and his comrades to get Sigrid with them, but even his thoughts of leadership could not formulate a safe plan.

Avan lightly shoved Crysaius, jerking him somewhat. “Hey, are you going to help us get Sigrid on our side, or are you just daydreaming about her?”

“What? No, I wasn’t! I just got lost in thought trying to think of a solution to this predicament.” replied Crysaius hastily.

“Sure, you were lost in thought there, Crysaius.” responded Guy sarcastically.

“But do you have any ideas, Crysaius?” asked Joseph.

After a moment of hesitation Crysaius finally answered, “I will go to talk to Sigrid myself.” Every single one of the Disciples was baffled and surprised at his initiative, which seemed to disregard the event of failure.

“You must be crazy, Crysaius.” replied Guy.

“I’m serious. I will personally for the sake of our quest go to speak to Sigrid myself about our quest and her role.” said Crysaius confidently.

“You? Talking to her? Do you even remember the time you tried asking two young women in Nordvegg for the whereabouts of Victire? It’s going to end the same way again.” warned Avan as he tried to educate Crysaius on his seemingly futile endeavor.

“I know that ended in a minor humiliation, but this is one of our yet-to-be comrades I’m talking to. My qualms of speaking to Sigrid shall not impede our quest and destiny.” objected Crysaius as he looked Avan in the face sternly. Crysaius’s sudden display of confidence in an act that was difficult for him surprised the Disciples, even managing to surprise Avan, as apathetic as he was. Crysaius then rallied his comrades, as they went off to locate Sigrid for their struggle. All of them obediently followed him, and all of them felt a small bit of confidence for Crysaius’s agency in their current situation.


	29. Chapter 29

Although it was a few hours after the speech, she still felt somewhat overwhelmed and stressed about her new responsibilities as a legate. She then eased herself and left from the back exit of the Hall of Magisterium and proceeded to walk back home. The day was approaching sunset, and the now current legate wanted some rest from today and for the next day when she is inaugurated into her new position. She walked slowly on the stone road to her residence, trying to ignore any social interaction. While the people of Tevapart saw their now-elected legate walk in the streets, they had the politeness of not giving too much unwarranted attention.

“Hey Sigrid, you’re the new legate aren’t you...” beckoned a young man arrogantly.

“What is it you want, Isak?” replied Sigrid frustratedly as she kept walking.

“Well, I was just asking if you felt like coming with me to unwind, you must be stressed about your new role, are you?” continued Isak as he followed Sigrid.

Sigrid scoffed as she continued to disregard his advances and added, “An offer coming from you after several years of failure is unbelievable.”

“Hey, it’s worth a shot trying to get into the world of politics, is it?” assured Isak.

“Maybe I’ll consider taking your offer… Once you land a spot in the Magisterium with that attitude.” said Sigrid as she ended the conversation and continued her way home, leaving Isak somewhat flustered at yet another failure with interacting with Sigrid romantically. It was evident that Sigrid did not want to enter a romantic relationship, partly due to the fact she was unwilling and most attempts from Isak all ended in embarrassment for him. Even though Sigrid did desire a simple life that she could control, but she willingly, yet hesitantly, accepted a role that was disputed between her parents, a father who was a military official and a mother who was a member of the Magisterium. A life of military endeavors or political leadership, and it seemed to her that the latter was decided for her, despite her father’s efforts to counteract such a life for his daughter.

After several minutes of walking, Sigrid finally arrived at her family’s residence, which was one of the more esteemed homes, being one step above the common person in Tevapart, yet below the level of nobles. Sigrid passed through the gate and walked through the frosted front yard and finally opened the doors to her abode. After entering her home, the first person she saw was her father sitting by the fireplace.

“I see you’ve returned from your acceptance as legate, Sigrid.” said her father as he kept staring at the fireplace.

“Yes, as harrowing as it was at the event.” replied Sigrid as she walked to the stairs. Before she got near the stairs, Sigrid’s father stood up and went beside her. In comparison to Sigrid, her father stood well above her height, and he was indeed a man hardened by war, but he maintained a good-natured spirit to every event.

Sigrid’s father sighed as he looked at her, “I know I was greatly against your mother’s motives of political involvement, but now that you’ve reached a peak in terms of success, I guess from the bottom of my heart, I also congratulate you on your new position, Sigrid.”

“Thanks… father.” responded Sigrid in brevity to her father’s change of heart with her new role.

“However, I still lament on what could have been if you decided for military training...” said Sigrid’s father dejectedly as he returned to his chair near the fireplace.

Sigrid’s mother then walked up to Sigrid and assured, “Don’t worry too much, Sigrid. I’m sure you will do fine as a legate.”

“That’s… rather reassuring coming from an experienced political representative to a new legate.” added Sigrid as her mother left to prepare the evening meal. Sigrid then climbed upstairs to enter her room, hoping to unwind from the long day of addressing hundreds of thousands of people of her responsibilities as legate and the eventual following day of her inauguration. Her room was rather modest, not looking very lofty, containing a desk, bookshelf, her bed and a rug. She then walked to her desk and sat down to read a book, particularly a short fantasy novel. As she read it, she had thoughts of adventuring pass through her mind, which made her feel more longing for a purpose greater than watching over the legislative processes of Tevapart. She then shifted her attention to a wall in her room. On the wall of her bedroom hung a glaive, a standard weapon for any soldier in Tevapart that was a gift from her father. Throughout her life, Sigrid kept the glaive in good condition, hoping that one day she could use it to show that she was more than just a lady who could speak.

Shortly after lamenting a forlorn part of herself, Sigrid’s mother opened the door and called Sigrid down for supper. Meanwhile, as Sigrid went downstairs to meet with her parents to eat, the Disciples stood outside of Sigrid’s residence, with Crysaius standing in front, ready to inquire Sigrid of their quest.

Guy glanced at Crysaius, who was prepared, yet somewhat uneasy, and said, “You are sure you’re in a good enough shape to talk to her?”

“I’m certain of it.” replied Crysaius.

“Right, we’ll just stay back here and hope that you don’t make a fool of yourself.” added Avan as he stayed back with the rest of the Disciples. After taking a deep breath, Crysaius started to walk to the front doors of Sigrid’s residence while the rest of the Disciples watched him carefully and hoped he would not mess up. Just as Sigrid reached the ground floor of her home, she heard someone knock on the door.

“Sigrid, could you get the door please?” asked Sigrid’s mother while she prepared the meal. Sigrid wondered who could be knocking on her door at the current time of day, but proceeded to walk on over to the front doors. Upon opening the doors, she unexpectedly saw a young man around her age before her, who looked very different from the people of Tevapart.

“... May I ask who you are?” asked Sigrid reluctantly to Crysaius.

Crysaius mustered his courage and responded, “I am Crysaius Dawn, do you happen to have the time for a… short conversation, if it’s not inconvenient?”

“This sounds… quite unusual, what are you asking of me?” questioned Sigrid, who was confused at Crysaius’s request.

“I’ll explain it, but when can you come outside to talk it about it?” answered Crysaius.

Sigrid thought for a moment and then replied, “I’m currently eating dinner with my parents, so just wait for about a few minutes.” Sigrid then closed the door on Crysaius and went on over to the dinner table where her parents were sitting before their meal.

“Who was it, Sigrid?” asked Sigrid’s mother.

“Uhm… Just a person who was congratulating me, that’s all.” replied Sigrid as she sat down to eat.

Shortly after Sigrid went inside to eat her meal, Crysaius returned to the Disciples, who were somewhat relieved that he didn’t flummox, but were anxious of the outcome.

“So, how did it go, Crysaius?” asked Avan when Crysaius walked back to them.

“She’ll be out in a minute, let’s hope she does come out...” replied Crysaius as they waited outside of Sigrid’s residence. While Sigrid sat at the dinner table quietly eating her meal and ignoring her parents’ debates and arguments, she thought about Crysaius for a moment. She wondered why a person that she has never seen before in Tevapart was asking to speak in private with her later. She wistfully thought that her call to adventure had come, but considered that such an event was unlikely.

“Sigrid, are you okay? You’re drifting off a bit.” asked Sigrid’s father.

“What? No, I’m just a bit tired, that’s all.” replied Sigrid as she kept eating.

“You seem to be very stressed about your new role as Legate, aren’t you, Sigrid.” added Sigrid’s mother as she cleaned herself up from the dinner table.

“No, I’m fine, just tired.” hastily finished Sigrid as she finished her meal. Sigrid then watched her parents go upstairs into their rooms, and when they were out of her sight, she quietly left her house to meet with Crysaius. The outside night was cold, yet bearable for Sigrid as she walked out of the gates of her home. After a few minutes of walking through the dimly-lit streets of Tevapart, she found Crysaius and his comrades, waiting for her patiently.

“Crysaius, is it? Where do you come from?”

“I am from Unitas.” replied Crysaius briefly. Sigrid showed some surprise at a man from Unitas, a nation she thought was only a legend, with other people she has never seen before in her town.

She then looked at each of Crysaius’s comrades and said to him, “Who… are the people you have brought along?”

“They’re my comrades that I have met throughout my journey.” replied Crysaius as he introduced each of them to Sigrid.

After being acquainted with each of Crysaius’s comrades, she then asked, “So… What did you bring me outside to ask me about?”

“I know this is going to be a strange question, but do you know of His Conceptual?” questioned Crysaius.

Sigrid hesitated for a moment and then responded, “I’ve heard from some of the elders in Tevapart about him.” Her response managed to surprise the Disciples, as they have never encountered someone who was a part of them to be aware of their main threat. “And some historical tomes have also said of some battles between Unitas and Tevapart...” added Sigrid.

After telling Sigrid of the current situation he and his comrades were in, Crysaius then asked her, “Then, are you willing to join us as a Disciple destined to fight back against His Conceptual?”

Surprised at the offer of going on an adventure to defeat a great threat, Sigrid responded, “I… commend your boldness to offer me such a quest to defeat His Conceptual but...”

“... But what?” said Crysaius.

“I was recently chosen as Legate of Tevapart, which is a role I don’t want to abandon…” Crysaius and his comrades looked at Sigrid with concern, as they did not want to falter at their current point in their quest. “I mean, if I did join you all in your quest, I wouldn’t be a burden, as I can fight, but choosing to abandon my new position would let the people of Tevapart down… I have to look over the discourse between bipartisan parties, while it may seem scary and tiring to see eternal conflicts… but it’s my duty that I have been bestowed.”

“Is there any possibility of reconsideration, Sigrid?” pleaded Crysaius hesitantly.

Sigrid shook her head and responded, “I’m sorry, Crysaius, there is no way for me to leave my title of Legate behind without attracting the attention of the Magisterium.” In that moment, Crysaius felt the weight of failure, yet accepted reality as there were some conflicts that he and his friends cannot resolve.

He deeply sighed, looked at Sigrid and replied, “Well, if that’s the case with your ordained role, I’ll be the one to accept that I cannot change it and let you be as the Legate of Tevapart.”

Sigrid then looked behind herself and said, “Well… I’ll be making my way home, Crysaius. I’m sorry I couldn’t join you and your comrades.” She then made her way back to her home quietly, as she believed her parents thought she went missing at night. The Disciples, downtrodden at the news of Sigrid’s refusal, too, walked off on the road to find a place to stay at.

“Well, this journey’s going to be a bit harder.” complained Victire.

“I do hope she’ll be happier as a legate...” said Joseph sadly.

“Come on everyone, we need to find an inn to stay in.” ordered Crysaius, trying to keep the focus of his comrades. After Sigrid opened the doors to her home, she looked behind herself and watched Crysaius and the Disciples walk off into the night. She could not help but feel sad about how she may have let down what could have been friends to her. She then closed the doors and prepared to sleep. After warming herself up from standing out in the cold, she washed herself up and brewed herself some herbal tea. She then entered her room and quietly sipped her tea, while trying to maintain her morale for her inauguration tomorrow. The glaive on her wall was something she longed to use against adversaries, but she felt it might forever stay on that wall as a centerpiece of what could have been. After finishing her tea, Sigrid got in her bed and rested for the next day. However, she still held onto the feeling of disappointment, as she kept thinking,  “What if His Conceptual will attack Tevapart?” Her consciousness finally slipped away as she slowly went to sleep.


	30. Chapter 30

The next morning, numerous people crowded into the Hall of Magisterium as they awaited the inauguration of Sigrid Lirenas as Legate of Tevapart. The Disciples sat in the crowd, as they felt they could stay in Tevapart long enough to see Sigrid one last time as she was commenced.

Aeacus sighed and looked at the center of the hall and said, “Well, I do respect your courtesy to see Sigrid as she starts her career as a legate, Crysaius.”

“There isn’t much point in staying around if she’s decided not to join us, though.” chimed Victire as he waited disinterestedly. The rest of the Disciples continued to quietly watch the center of the hall, waiting for the inauguration ceremony to begin. Every person that was in the hall filled the vast hall with chatter and excitement over the beginning of a new Legate in Tevapart. Although the Disciples stood out from the riled people of Tevapart, they still tried to maintain an ambivalent tone about their adventure ahead of them.

After several minutes of waiting, Sigrid Lirenas and the same lady that announced her appearance the day before walked out into the center floor before the Reds and Blues to great applause from the audience. As Sigrid walked out into view, she still felt sad about letting Crysaius down with her reply to his plead, but was mildly comforted from seeing him and his comrades in the audience watching her inauguration. As all of the members of the Reds and Blues stood up, the audience went quiet and the ceremony began. Sigrid then looked at the lady before her, who held a law book and was ready to instate Sigrid into her position as Legate. The people of Tevapart watched as Sigrid was indoctrinated by the tradition of their nation running its course once again, as it initiated a new legate every few years. The Disciples felt like congratulating Sigrid on her achievement, but kept quietly watching the ceremony. Crysaius in particular felt bittersweet about the event, but he too tried to remain neutral with the event.

Just as Sigrid was about to accept the law book of Tevapart, two arrows were fired from different locations. One arrow struck the ground near Sigrid while the other narrowly missed Crysaius and the Disciples. Everyone in the hall panicked as they believed assailants were present in the hall, putting the hall in pure chaos.

“What’s happening? What caused this ruckus?” yelled Joseph in a panic. Crysaius looked around for a moment within the chaos and saw from one of the top entrances a Unitas soldier.

“The Convia Guard found us! We need to get out of here!” yelled Crysaius as he gathered his comrades to run. Unfortunately for the Disciples, they had difficulty traversing through the masses of people trying to run out from the hall in fear.

“Damn it, why do people in mobs have to get in the way of other people doing the same thing as they are?!” complained Avan as he stumbled through person after person. As the Disciples stumbled through the mob, they were spotted by the Convia Guard. When the Disciples managed to make way on escaping, a few soldiers blocked their way out.

“There you are, dissenters!” threatened a soldier as he held out a spear with the rest of his comrades. The Disciples were trapped within the rush of people, which hindered their movement, but they couldn’t go back to take an alternate exit.

“W… What do we do now, Crysaius?!” pleaded Joseph in a panic.

Crysaius thought for a moment, and then responded, “We’ll just have to fight as long as we can!” Each of the Disciples unsheathed their weapons and prepared to fight through the guards and hopefully escape from the panic. However, as they clashed with the soldiers in the middle of the chaos, more soldiers were alerted to the location of the Disciples, and they grew in numbers. Gradually the number of soldiers the Disciples were fighting against began to outnumber them. They slowly began to lose ground in the fight, the mass of soldiers advancing closer and closer to the Disciples. After several moments of struggle, the Disciples had their backs up against the wall and were slowly losing their fight. Convia Guard soldiers overwhelmed them and kept beating the Disciples with the blunt ends of their spears. One by one each of them fell to the ground unconscious from the damage sustained, with Crysaius succumbing last. From the center stage of the hall, Sigrid saw within the chaos that he and his comrades had fallen, and felt grievous shame for her refusal to help the Disciples. Having decided what she must do, Sigrid ran out from the hall with a reborn ambition.


	31. Chapter 31

An indeterminate amount of time had passed since the chaos at the Hall of Magisterium had passed, and Crysaius slowly regained consciousness in a place he did not suspect he would end up in his life. He had a noose on his neck and his hands were bound with ropes. He then looked around and was standing on a gallows before a crowd of Convia Guard soldiers watching him and blocking any Tevapart citizens from moving through the town. Crysaius continued to look around, and was somewhat relieved to see that his comrades were fine, but were also in the same predicament as he was, about to be hung.

“Well, this is a rather terrible fate for us.” chided Guy. Crysaius looked to the left and saw a man he had not seen ever since he had fled Unitas: Belisarius. He stood confidently in his armor that distinguished him as the general of the Unitas military. He walked in front of Crysaius and looked at him angrily.

“Well if it isn’t Crysaius Dawn, one of my most ambitious trainees, now a great enemy to His Conceptual and Unitas.” said Belisarius sternly to Crysaius.

“The soldiers of Unitas were trying to violently force a man into believing in His Conceptual, rather than letting him be! To think that event was just one of many instances of people in Unitas being forced to believe...” argued Crysaius.

“A non-believer that engages in irreligion would believe such a thing, but they cannot ignore the presence of a real god watching down on every action in Unitas.” replied Belisarius.

“In spite of that, smiting a non-believer does not make a better image of faith!” objected Crysaius.

“Again, Crysaius, ignoring the presence of His Conceptual is disavowing the existence of a god, an act that is disrespectful to him. It’s taking the world he has created for all of us and not giving any respect for the work he has done.” countered Belisarius. 

Crysaius scowled as he continued to look Belisarius in the eyes and said, “If your idea of uniting everyone under the faith of His Conceptual is by submission, you’re only creating a ruthless regime of believing in one faith or face death.” declared Crysaius.

Belisarius looked at Crysaius angrily and said, “Regardless of the motives of His Conceptual, I also have you and your companions for my own personal reasons, you and your little group of infidels taking the life of a friend of mine, Mundus.” Crysaius was struck with surprise with Belisarius’s mention of Mundus’s death at the hands of himself and his comrades. “You may think you can elude the weight of killing supposedly those you consider evil, but to others, you merely are people that refuse to surrender to higher powers. The death of Mundus made this struggle against you a personal grudge for me, as now my reasons for killing you and your insignificant group are twofold: His Conceptual wills it and revenge.” The Disciples felt the weight of guilt, but not at the extent of Crysaius. They glanced at him and saw he had completely gone silent from the revelation of being a man from Unitas killing his own people. “Think back to when you first took the life of that one guard, Crysaius. Is your quest really for the good of everyone or for the good of the few, if not no one? The sense of good only exists as a way for evil to justify their actions to everyone else as the correct path.” lectured Belisarius. Belisarius continued to look at Crysaius, who had fallen quiet and started to break down from the efforts of his journey. “I’ve had enough of reminding you about our morals of this situation, but now I’ll get on with ending this grudge quickly by executing you and your comrades.” Upon hearing the announcement of execution, the people of Tevapart that were being blocked by the soldiers started to intensify in opposition, but the soldiers remained bound in impeding them. “Any last words before I send you and your comrades off, Crysaius?” finished Belisarius. Crysaius said nothing, as he had seemingly given up inside, and was unable to cope with the guilt of such deceit.

“Shit, what’s happened to Crysaius?” whispered Victire.

“He should be confident that he’ll get us out of this situation... right?” replied Joseph uncertainly.

“Can you blame him? If you were someone who was told that your entire crusade made you look more evil than good, you would also feel the same way.” replied Avan.

“So this is how it all ends? We’re hung before a crowd of soldiers we’ve fought against?” said Aeacus sadly.

“I guess it is so, the law has failed us.” replied Guy as he accepted his eventual fate. Belisarius took one last look at the person he once considered his favorite apprentice, now an enemy to himself and Unitas. He wanted to feel sad to see him be killed for the sake of his greater power, but all he felt was his motive to execute Crysaius. He then commanded a soldier to begin the executions, and the soldier went into position. To Crysaius, he felt nothing but immense guilt for only now realizing that he and his comrades took the lives of his people and could only wait for his fate of being hung before the soldiers against him. He slowly shut his eyes and awaited for the end.

However, before Crysaius was dropped from the gallows, a figure suddenly cut the ropes that bound Crysaius. After falling onto the wooden floor of the gallows, Crysaius opened his eyes and looked around in confusion. He looked up to see a woman dressed in white holding a peculiar weapon, one that he could not believe to see before him.

“I won’t let you kill these people!” yelled Sigrid as she held her glaive up at Belisarius.

“What are you… shouldn’t you be watching over the petty arguments of politics?” said Beliarius angrily at Sigrid.

“You may think that the distinction of good between two sides are nothing but gray morality, but I can say for certain that is incorrect!” continued Sigrid as she remained unfazed from the many threats around her.

“You say that as if you’ve never seen your own political parties argue.” retorted Belisarius, who seemed unimpressed at Sigrid’s intervention.

“Believe me, I have seen the conflicts of the Magisterium, but that’s vastly different from the higher morals of bloodshed! I’ve heard the long struggles of Crysaius, how he has clashed with your soldiers numerous times to protect the people of the towns you’ve invaded just to kill him and his comrades for His Conceptual!” shouted Sigrid in opposition.

“And you think that reasoning can save you and Crysaius there?” scoffed Belisarius as he prepared to unsheath his sword to fight Sigrid.

“... In fact… It can...” strained Crysaius as he struggled to stand up. His comrades who thought the end had come for them, had a faint bit of hope as they saw their leader begin to stand up from his crestfallen status. “I’ve struggled through battle after battle and gathered many friends along the way, and you think that through my journey I learned more than what you’ve taught me in combat?” continued Crysaius as he got on his feet, but was still kneeling. “And I won’t fail here with my friends in execution...  I’ll fight to achieve triumph!”

Belisarius looked at Crysaius with vexation at his refusal to give in and prepared to give an order to the soldiers to attack. Before they were able to launch arrows at the Disciples and Sigrid, the people of Tevapart finally made way and broke through the blockade the soldiers had created and started to push back against them.

“Sir, the people of Tevapart are beginning to break through, and their soldiers are on their way here!” warned a Convia Guard soldier to Belisarius.

Belisarius growled at this predicament and commanded, “Push them back, and hold ground!” Just as the soldiers changed their tactics to holding back the mob of people, Avan took the opportunity from a soldier moving past him by kicking him and attracting his attention. The soldier attempted to take a swing at Avan, but he turned around, causing the sword to instead cut through the restraints on him.

“Took long enough for them to be distracted.” said Avan as he kicked the soldier off the gallows. He then took out his knife and cut the restraints of the other Disciples, who all stood ready to support Crysaius in the oncoming fight ahead. As Crysaius attempted to stand up, Sigrid offered her hand to help him. Crysaius confidently took her hand as she helped him stand up.

“I never thought you would help us, Sigrid.” commented Crysaius as he unsheathed his sword.

“I never thought that I would fight, too, but I’m not one to not fight in an inevitable struggle...” replied Sigrid as she prepared her glaive.

Belisarius reacted with even more anger as he saw the Crysaius and Disciples freed from their restraints and he ordered some soldiers to his side. “Take them out.” he commanded briefly to the soldiers.

“Avan, Joseph, Guy, Victire, Aeacus, you handle the soldiers! Belisarius is mine!” ordered Crysaius. The five silently and confidently agreed to Crysaius’s orders and separated to fend Crysaius from the soldiers Belisarius ordered. Crysaius and Belisarius cautiously walked towards each other, ready to fight. Belisarius, too, unsheathed his own blade, agreeing to Crysaius’s silent challenge to a fight.

“You stay back, Sigrid.” said Crysaius as he walked to Belisarius. Sigrid felt great concern for Crysaius, but tried to remain confident in him.

“I can accept not executing you, but a clash here will show me how much you’ve learned from your absurd heresy.” threatened Belisarius.

“You may have taught me the combat of Unitas, but my friends have taught me the importance of camaraderie!” replied Crysaius loudly to Belisarius. The two then ran toward each other and struck with the blades on their swords. The two seemed to be nearly evenly matched, in spite of the dissonance in both of their skill. Crysaius had the young, ambitious spirit fueling his will to fight and Belisarius had his wise and time-learned experience from war. It was a battle between the student and teacher, raging from within a conflict of theological ideals. While the battle drew on, Crysaius still had a mobility advantage against Belisarius, but it was less so in comparison to his battle with Mundus. Belisarius managed to hold up against Crysaius’s unexpectedly aggressive strikes at him, which somewhat surprised him at how his former apprentice had changed his style of fighting last he had sparred with him. Belisarius then saw Crysaius swing his sword at his shoulder, which he was unable to guard against in time. In a quick reaction, he blocked the attack by emanating an invisible aura that partially blocked the attack, leaving only a light gash on his flesh, and caused Crysaius’s attempt at divinely striking it to fizzle.

“Huh? What ability did you just use there?!” asked Crysaius in confusion.

“I never told you everything I am capable of, but now that the time has come, I will tell you. While I am indeed a military general with great luck in war, I can use my abilities to diminish potentially lethal or crippling attacks, much like your attack on my shoulder there. However, I can only utilize it just moments before I’ve been struck.” replied Belisarius as he dusted off his somewhat injured shoulder.

Crysaius growled and responded, “I may be unable to stop you quickly, but I will bring your end either way!” The two then continued to fight, this time with Crysaius focusing on subverting Belisarius’s expectations on his attacks by feigning which part of him he would strike. Belisarius quickly realized Crysaius’s strategy and despite his weaker mobility, focused on dodging his attacks. As Crysaius continued to attack Belisarius with his strategy, he did not realize he had fallen into Belisarius’s own strategy. After Crysaius had performed a certain swing of his sword, Belisarius instead parried the attack and quickly followed with a counterattack by cutting Crysaius’s leg, throwing off his balance and causing him to fall to the floor of the gallows.

Belisarius walked to the crippled Crysaius and said, “Your attempt at trying to overcome my ability is a fine one, but after studying it as we fought, I immediately found its flaw.” Crysaius struggled to stand with one leg damaged, but he remained on the floor kneeling.

“Damn, I can’t heal myself quick enough to defend myself...” thought Crysaius as Belisarius stepped closer to him.

Belisarius raised his sword and said, “You have learned a lot from me and on your own, but I’m afraid this is the end of your silly crusade.” He then swung his sword at the downed Crysaius, finally hoping to see the end of someone who caused chaos in Unitas and rage in him.

However, the blade of a glaive managed to stop his blade just before it was about to cut Crysaius. Crysaius turned his head to the side to see Sigrid had come to his aid.

“I won’t let you kill Crysaius, Belisarius!” said Sigrid angrily as she pushed back on Belisarius’s blade on her glaive.

Belisarius scowled at Sigrid and said, “You pesky woman! You can’t defend Crysaius forever!” Sigrid started pushing Belisarius away from Crysaius, giving him time to heal himself. Belisarius tried to pull his sword away from Sigrid’s glaive, but it was trapped in the strange shape of its blade, adding more to his frustration.

“The sword may be a valiant weapon, but it pales in comparison to the polearm!” challenged Sigrid to Belisarius as she pushed him away from Crysaius. Eventually, Belisarius freed his sword from Sigrid’s glaive and turned his attention to her, as she was defending his original foe. Although she still wore her white dress, Sigrid was able to move just as well as the rest of the Disciples, with their widely-accepted notion of forgoing heavier armor. Sigrid’s polearm managed to maintain a distance advantage with Belisarius, allowing her to keep a short, yet sizable distance away from him. However, as Sigrid thrusted her glaive at Belisarius, she too, was susceptible to his own strategies. After correctly anticipating a specific vertical slash from her, he then ran through the distance between him and Sigrid and tackled her, causing her to turn her back to Belisarius. In that moment of inaction, Belisarius swung his blade at Sigrid’s undefended back, hoping to cut her back. However, his blade only managed to only lightly cut on the back of Sigrid’s neck and tore through her hairband, freeing her long hair. She then managed to regain some distance between herself and Belisarius and tried to maintain her composure with a wound.

“For a lady trained in the discipline of polearms, you seem to value your safety more than fighting.” retorted Belisarius as he saw Sigrid flinch from her injury. However, during the short moment of Sigrid and Belisarius’s fight, Crysaius had fully healed his leg and quickly came to her defense.

“You may be able to overpower all of us, one at a time, but as a unified team, we are greater!” shouted Crysaius as he held out his sword at Belisarius.

“You just never stop with your power of friendship, don’t you, Crysaius?” sighed Belisarius annoyedly. Sigrid saw Crysaius’s undaunted eyes and face, determined to defeat Belisarius and triumph in his quest. She silently nodded and disregarded her qualms about her injury and held her glaive out in a confident stance with Crysaius. The two then ran forth to clash with Belisarius, each of them attacking him from different sides while he barely managed to defend himself. The predicament he was in was one he had ever thought to see himself in, one of his personal apprentices cooperating with a young lady from a nation that was once Unitas’s enemies. In his haste from defending from the two, he too had fallen into their own tactics. Belisarius jumped back in reaction to Sigrid doing a low sweep on the floor, but saw Crysaius in the air, ready to attack him. He had no time to defend himself, and Crysaius swung at Belisarius’s torso with shining blue energy radiating from his sword. The attack managed to pierce through Belisarius’s armor and left a glowing and radiating gash on him, which caused him immense pain. After enduring Crysaius’s attack, Belisarius was still standing, but he was quite injured from fighting against Crysaius and Sigrid.

Just as Belisarius decided to continue fighting, a Convia Guard soldier yelled from below, saying, “They’re starting to break through, sir! We can’t hold them back much longer!”

Belisarius tried to think of a way out of his current situation, but the voice of His Conceptual ringed in his head, telling him, “You must retreat, you are too important of an asset to lose.”

He sheathed his sword and looked at the two and said, “You may have survived Crysaius, and you have indeed learned a lot from your own escapades, but don’t think this is your last hurrah.” He then called his horse and jumped off from the gallows and rallied his troops to quickly retreat from Tevapart. Crysaius and Sigrid watched the Convia Guard retreat as the other Disciples walked up to them to rejoin them.

“Whew, well, that was one hell of a skirmish at every moment.” said Guy as he breathed a sigh of relief.

“Could’ve been better, but I guess you could say so.” replied Avan as he adjusted his hat.

“Good to see you’re still in high spirits, Crysaius.” commended Victire.

“Quite the excruciating exhilaration of an experiment!” said Aeacus, who just barely managed to contain his excitement.

“You two are fine, are you?” asked Joseph to Crysaius and Sigrid.

“I suffered a cut on my neck, but I’m fine.” replied Sigrid as she covered her wound with her hand. Moments later, the many people of Tevapart rushed in to see the triumphant Disciples. They congratulated them, but they still had one issue that was never resolved.

Sigrid quieted the crowd and said, “I thank you all for your praise for our valor, but… about my role as legate...” Two key members of the Blue and Red parties walked up on the floors of the gallows to speak to Sigrid.

“While we saw you and that man from Unitas fight back against his own nation, we were moved by that display of fellowship between what could have been two enemies of an old war.” began the Reds leader.

“It managed to influence us, the Blues and Reds on how we viewed ourselves, we both share similar motives of improving our society, but we quarrel over what may be trivial.” added the Blues leader.

“But… does this have any influence on Sigrid’s apparent fate to defeat His Conceptual?” replied Crysaius.

“It has no burden on her, she has proven herself both capable of fighting and speaking amongst chaos. Either way, she is free to leave her position as Legate, now that she has proven herself a fervent supporter for your cause.” replied the Blues leader. Crysaius and the Disciples felt a great relief from the news, but Sigrid was somewhat worried.

“W… will you be able to manage yourselves and Tevapart while I’m gone…?” said Sigrid uncertainly. The two leaders silently nodded and smiled warmly at her, denoting that they were confident in managing themselves without a Legate. Sigrid now felt relief, as if a great burden she had quietly feared was lifted from her shoulders. She then saw her parents from within the crowd, and attempted to gesture to them to come forth. After moving through the crowd, Sigrid’s parents were before Sigrid and looked up at her.

She hesitated as she spoke, “Is… is it fine if I leave from Tevapart to join Crysaius? I know it’s strange that I am a part of this strange destiny and… I’ve always wanted to see the world and take adventures. It’s a childish dream I’ve held onto but...”

“I’m sure this is greatly out of what I would say, but we advocate your decision to help this man’s struggle against Unitas.” replied her mother.

“I knew my idea of training her in combat would have helped her, one day.” chuckled Sigrid’s father as his wife tried to hold back her annoyance. Sigrid felt even more relieved and looked back at her new friends with a confident smile.

“Oh, and, you’re not too annoyed at my hair being down from now on, mother and father?” asked Sigrid quickly.

“Don’t worry about us telling you how you should look, Sigrid. You’re now your own woman, I just hope you don’t succumb in your struggle.” assured Sigrid’s mother. The people of Tevapart then applauded the Disciples and Sigrid, to which Sigrid for the first time, finally felt the happiness she longed for.

While work began in Tevapart to help those injured in the fight and repair any damages, Crysaius and the Disciples walked out from the southern gate with their newest and last member, Sigrid Lirenas. She brought along her glaive, as she finally felt a newfound spirit to fight back against a great enemy with a weapon she has kept at rest for years. After a long journey, the Disciples were finally together from the efforts of Crysaius Dawn.

“So, our union is finally complete!” celebrated Joseph happily.

“It was a long journey, but for some reason, I feel confident of our future!” added Guy as he tightened his fist.

“For a bunch of people ‘destined’ to be my apparent friends… You’re all not half bad!” said Victire as he happily looked at his friends.

“An unlikely union, yet, a strong one.” added Aeacus.

“A union of comrades, or more, friends forged from arduous struggles!” responded Sigrid.

“So, after a long journey of fighting savages and zealous soldiers, a hellish winter storm, a disease we narrowly-avoided and fixing a democratic system, where to, Crysaius?” said Avan.

“Now that we’re back together, we ride together back to Unitas, to defeat His Conceptual!” commanded Crysaius confidently. Crysaius and his finally united friends ran triumphantly onwards, as their hearts beat as one with unperturbed unity.


	32. Chapter 32

The following night after hours of marching through open land to return to Unitas, the Disciples decided to set up a small camp before they continued their trek back. Winter was finally starting to recede, as the night was a comfortable, yet somewhat chilling tone. A small and modest campfire sat in the center of the group as they rested, just keeping them warm and shining the endless expanse of the land around them.

Guy stretched out his arms and rested on his back and said, “You know, it does feel quite comforting to sit in front of a fire in the outdoors for once.”

“Well, we shouldn’t relax for long, we still have a long way back.” replied Sigrid as she cleaned her glaive. Each of the Disciples sat around the fire, having small conversations with each other and taking the time to enjoy their moment of solace of socialization. Crysaius looked in the general direction of Unitas, and kept thinking about the struggle ahead of him, now that he has assembled his destined comrades and must defeat His Conceptual.

Avan looked at Crysaius questionably and asked, “Hey, Crysaius, I have one question.” “What’s that, Avan?” replied Crysaius as he shifted his attention to him.

“Y’know, with your iffy quest to find all of us and all, this makes me think.” added Avan as the other Disciples stopped talking and looked at Crysaius carefully.

“... Go on, Avan?” continued Crysaius reluctantly.

“If you’ve searched for all of us, who are ‘Disciples’ according to a strange destiny written in some misprinted holy text, who is the first then? I hope the writer didn’t say I was the first.” questioned Avan. After Avan asked Crysaius his question, the whole group fell into silence as they stared at Crysaius, waiting for his answer.

Crysaius thought for a few moments and finally answered, “Well, it shouldn’t come as a surprise, but I am the first Disciple described in the Notio. It seemingly describes me as a ‘harbinger of the sun’ and the leader of our struggle.” The rest of the Disciples all looked at Crysaius with looks of agreement, as they seemed to have understood his role more or less to them.

“Well, you have proven yourself a somewhat proficient leader if you’ve gotten yourself and us this far.” said Victire.

“And a good backup healer, too.” added Aeacus.

“Well, there isn’t much we have to do if you’re already with us and leading us, Crysaius!” replied Sigrid happily. Crysaius felt somewhat comforted and happy to see his comrades receiving him with open arms still after leading them for months.

“Well, I believe we’ve spent enough time relaxing, we should sleep until the next morning and we’ll continue our way to Unitas.” finished Crysaius. The Disciples then laid down on the ground, while somewhat uncomfortable, but just enough to be able to have them rest easily until the next morning. Each of them fell asleep, except for Crysaius, who seemed to remain awake as he was lying down. While he was worried about unexpected obstacles ahead of him and his comrades, he thought about them. He wondered about if he was actually worthy enough to be deemed by the Notio to be the one to lead the Disciples, and whether his abilities were strong enough to be at the level they described. He was able to overcome Belisarius, albeit with some help, but for an assault on His Conceptual, he feared that he and his comrades would not last long trying to fight through the soldiers to get to His Conceptual’s citadel. He attempted to disregard the thought as he started to drift off into sleeping, but just as he finally slipped asleep, two final questions stuck: “Is he really the dawn of the light bringing salvation?” and “If I’m the dawn, is there a dusk?” Before thinking about them further, Crysaius then fell asleep along with the rest of his comrades.

Meanwhile, back in Unitas, Tribonian, Cappadocius and Belisarius convened in His Conceptual’s citadel on their next course of action.

“This is entirely preposterous, had Crysaius Dawn not been lucky four times in a row, he would’ve been dead months ago.” complained Cappadocius as he slammed his fist on the table. The three officials of His Conceptual sat in a hall, with His Conceptual standing over them as they tried to devise a way to defeat The Disciples now that they had assembled and were no doubt on their way to Unitas as they spoke and thought.

Tribonian slammed his tome down and looked at Cappadocius, “It may entirely just be a failure for all of us, especially you, if you so desired to live in wealth rather than upholding His Conceptual.”

“Why you… You utter delusional bastard!” yelled Cappadocius as he stood and pointed his crossbow at Tribonian.

His Conceptual raised his hand and ordered the two to stop, “Internal conflict must not divide us, for it is the start of collapse.” Tribonian and Cappadocius hesitantly and reluctantly stopped their quarrel and sat back down.

Belisarius cleared his throat and began, “At the rate they are going, I reckon they will arrive at Unitas by afternoon tomorrow, maybe later or tomorrow. We have soldiers guarding at every corner of Unitas and curfews in place, which is more than enough to keep a force of seven adept individuals out, regardless of their strategy or method of intrusion.”

“You are certain that this will fully protect us, Belisarius?” questioned His Conceptual.

“I’ve fought against massed armies, but I don’t know how Crysaius and his group seem to triumph over every effort. It may just be his undying spirit, but I don’t believe in such nonsense.” replied Belisarius.

“Perhaps you’re doing something wrong, or maybe our troops are greatly unintelligent, perhaps by your doing.” said Tribonian indifferently. Belisarius felt angered even more at his two allies, but managed to keep himself in composure.

While the four hesitantly agreed with their current plans, another person walked into the hall. “To give my perspective on the matter, garrisoning soldiers around Unitas will not help us.” he said to the four.

“What do you have to give, you nonsensical scribe?” cursed Cappadocius as he turned toward the new person, who was familiar to them.

“Heed my warning or not, but I recommend you stand guard as His Conceptual’s last line of defense. The Disciples can find a way to raid the citadel, but the military won’t be enough to stop them.” continued the scribe. Tribonian, Cappadocius, Belisarius and His Conceptual looked at the scribe for a moment, quietly thinking about his initiative for a final defense.

His Conceptual rose up from his seat and said, “You stand in position for the Disciples, I myself will order a rather specialized contingent of soldiers to slow them down as we prepare.” He then turned around to look out the window and saw four seemingly winged armored soldiers fly out and slowly flew out into the night sky, set on seeking their prey. “You four are dismissed, and continue preparing defenses.” finished His Conceptual. The three and the scribe promptly exited the hall, with each of them indifferent or hesitant about the battle ahead.

“I hope you know what you’ve gotten ourselves into, Belisarius.” complained Cappadocius.

“Just don’t let your silly qualms of collecting their money get in the way of this.” said Tribonian.

“So that’s what you do? Let one’s incessant distractions get in the way of a plan?” replied the scribe.

“Quiet, you. Don’t let your valor in this struggle be besmirched by such nonsense.” said Belisarius as he brought all of them to attention and continued walking ahead.

Moments after the four people His Conceptual spoke to had left the hall, he immediately fell into a state of panic. He had his head in his hands, as he tried to think about what he has knowingly caused. He knew he built Unitas and many other other countless creations from the ground-up, but Unitas was his only success and he refused to turn it into a failure, as he rejected responsibility.

“So now you realize the burdens gods must take?”

“Wh… I just wanted this type of power to see if I could prove them wrong...” responded His Conceptual with difficulty.

“And now I know that you, who I would describe a lowly vassal from another world, are not worthy of having such power, proving the philosophy of great leaders from lowly individuals wrong.” His Conceptual then looked at the four soldiers he dispatched to intervene with the Disciples while still in stress. “While your decision to send the Angelus Guard after them is a difficult one, I myself would have found a solution to this before that silly Dawn person even began his quest.”

“... No, I won’t be cornered by you or the Disciples!” yelled His Conceptual in refusal.

“Deny all you want, you’re already cornered by your own doing as a supposed god to these people.” His Conceptual tried to remain confident as the disembodied voice kept telling him of his failures as an empowered person, but all he managed to do was continue his anxiety over an impending doom for himself.

“I’ll leave you to your final days… Da... or rather, I shouldn’t call you by your former name. You’ve already gotten to the point a name like that would be pointless.” As His Conceptual continued to stare at the Angelus Guard disappear into the horizon, he dropped to his knees and began to weep at what he would soon be up against.


	33. Chapter 33

In the early morning, the Disciples continued their journey back to Unitas. The sun had not risen, making the travel somewhat difficult. The land around them became rocky, but still have even enough ground to have them easily keep their footing. Beside them as they walked along was a long chasm, which reached far down, but was of no importance to the Disciples in their hasted journey. However, Crysaius stopped for a moment to examine it, looking down into it.

“What did you stop for, Crysaius?” asked Joseph as he looked at him.

“... Nothing, something about this deep opening in the earth just made me curious.” responded Crysaius.

“Well, enough gawking at the scenery and let’s get going. This rising action isn’t going to reach its peak itself.” exhorted Avan in his highly dismissive manner. Even as Crysaius walked away from the chasm to reunite with his comrades, it still remained in his mind, thinking that it was calling out to him, somehow. Just as Crysaius and his comrades were about to resume their march back to Unitas,  four arrows were fired at them, with one of them striking Guy.

“What the bloody....?!” yelled Guy as he reacted to the surprise attack. The Disciples looked around, hoping to find where their attackers were, but found no sight of them. Another volley of arrows came down on them, this time they barely avoided them.

“Damn it, they can’t be invisible, where are they attacking us?” questioned Aeacus as he looked back and forth. Crysaius quickly looked at how the arrows stuck in the ground and the answer then came to him. He looked up and saw four soldiers with wings on their backs, flying above them in assault. They appeared lightly armored, less so than any Convia Guard soldier, armed with spears, swords, bows and shields. Judging from their unusual appearance and wings on their back, they were well accommodated for their special discipline of fighting. Their helmets to the Disciples were greatly unusual, as they appeared to only protect their eyes, rather than their entire head. When they were noticed by the Disciples, they turned their sights on them.

“We are the Angelus Guard, His Conceptual’s elite guard. For disavowing His Conceptual, you will all die.” said one of them with great hostility.

“They’re above us!” yelled Crysaius as he pointed up to the sky, warning his comrades.

“Well what do you know, they tried something new.” said Avan disdainfully as he took out some throwing knives. The Disciples stood ready to fight as the winged soldiers switched from their bows to spears as their weapon. They all dove at the Disciples relentlessly like birds of prey, and the best the Disciples could do was attack them the instant they dove, but it was for naught. Even with the Guy’s reflexes, he was unable to attack them as they dove past them and rose back up into the air.

“Swift as birds of prey and crafty as humans! What kind of abnormalities are these men!?” questioned Aeacus as he kept attempting to attack his adversaries.

“Is there any chance of running away from these bastards?” asked Victire as he shot electric bolts into the air.

Crysaius showed hesitation, but replied, “If we ran from them, we’d only be whittled down by them!”

“So your only strategy here is that we fight as long as we can carry on?” replied Sigrid as she tried to hold back against one soldier with her glaive.

“I’m… not even confident that’ll even work, Crysaius!” said Joseph, panicked as he tried to shoot the winged soldiers with his spells. As the fight grew longer, the Disciples began to crumble as order began to collapse, as they eventually began doubting Crysaius’s strategy and attacking the Angelus Guard at their own will. Crysaius’s patience grew thin and he turned to anger to get into the minds of his comrades.

“Guy! What the hell are you trying to do here!?” yelled Crysaius as Guy was trying in vain to shoot one of them using his gun.

“Look, your plan isn’t working, so now’s… the time I do my own attacks!” said Guy as he attempted to steady his aim on one soldier, only to be attacked again by another. Even in his anger, he was unable to keep his attention of fighting his enemy and trying to regain control of his comrades, as he and his comrades continued to be attacked from aerial maneuvers. Crysaius tried to get the attention of each of his comrades, in another vain attempt to rally them to execute a different strategy against their enemy. In the fury of the battle, each of them have never fought against opposition that flew in the skies, far from the range of all of their attacks. Although Avan’s throwing knives or Victire’s electrical shots were able to reach them, they unfortunately attacked too slow to overpower the Angelus Guard’s swift and punishing attacks. However, Crysaius did not forget about the chasm he and his comrades were slowly getting cornered to, and he had to think of a way out of the predicament.

However, just as he began to think while still trying to defend himself, an Angelus Guard began to dive straight at Avan, who was standing close enough to the chasm that if he were to be hit, he would fall in it. Conflicted on the cost of losing a comrade or failing his quest, Crysaius thought on what to do in the situation before him. After only mere moments of consideration, Crysaius quickly dashed forth toward Avan and shoved him aside with his shoulder. Avan fell to the ground, but was even more annoyed at Crysaius’s act.

“... The hell was that for!?” angrily yelled Avan when as he looked at him. However, Crysaius ignored Avan’s response and only stood guard at the Angelus Guardsman, who continued to dive toward him. Just as they were about to impact, Crysaius attempted to swing at him, hoping for a counter attack. Upon impact, Crysaius was instead knocked off his feet and his sword broke into two. However, the impact was enough to push Crysaius far enough into the chasm that the Disciples had been pushed back to. The Disciples watched in shock as they saw the person who lead them appear defeated from trying to protect the life of one of them. Crysaius fell into the chasm and quickly disappeared into the deep darkness, outside of the Disciples’s sight. Although the Disciples had come close to losing comrades, they have never experienced so much as one of them being lost before them.

“Did… Dawn just… try to protect you…?” said Joseph as he looked down the chasm in shock.

“He… No… I can bring him back! … I just...” cried Aeacus as he began to trip on mania and remorse.

“... So this is what you left us with, Crysaius? Our own disorder?” said Guy in regret as he pulled the brim of his hat to hide his sadness.

“Shit, how’re we going to get out of this without Crysaius leading us?”

Sigrid looked down the chasm and was overrun with tears as she saw before her what may have been the absolute defeat of someone she genuinely respected. She tried to call out his name, but no response was given.

Avan stood up from being shoved, brushed the dirt off him and readjusted his hat. “I know Crysaius did his damned hardest trying to lead us up until this point. I wouldn’t call myself a leader, but I’ve known Crysaius long enough that in the face of this fight.”

“Avan… are you?” said Guy as Avan unsheathed his knife.

“I’m taking up his figurative sword. Now are you going to fight for a better future or what?” rallied Avan as the remaining Disciples stood up to continue fighting. Although they had lost a person who was close to them in every step of their quest, they could not give up any time to mourn.


	34. Chapter 34

Inside the chasm was dark, with only the faint early morning shine above, out of reach for escape. Although Crysaius had managed to survive his long fall, although he wasn’t without injury. He regained consciousness and felt great pain, both physical and emotional. His arm and leg seemed to have been broken and he had lost a great amount of blood, and on top of suffering such injuries, he thought about his failure as a leader to his comrades.

“Damn it… I tried to lead my comrades to defeat His Conceptual, and what do I get? A broken arm and leg and now my friends will be captured or killed… This is all my fault. All from the very beginning of my journey. All of this was just my unprepared response to an unusual augury from my religious text...” thought Crysaius as he laid down on the cold rocky ground while faintly looking up from down the chasm. Crysaius had felt despair many times in his journey, but it seemed to have come to him once again.

“Do you intend to forfeit here?” asked a voice. Crysaius slowly sat up and looked around and saw a floating wisp, glowing in a similar color to the light he emits when he used his dawn energy.

“What… are you?” questioned the injured Crysaius.

“I was once known by many, but now one supposed god has taken such recognition away from me and has used it to enforce a religious regime. Only now, you have stood up with others to put an end to his machinations.” answered the spirit.

“I can’t bring an end to His Conceptual, and I may have failed them all and myself now that I’ve failed to lead them well and protect them.” replied Crysaius.

“If you’ve committed yourself to this long and arduous quest, why do you decide to forfeit here? Surely your fervent zeal must still be strong within you.”

Crysaius angrily looked at the spirit and yelled, “It’s not, because I failed my comrades! I don’t have the ability to have saved them before!”

The spirit paused for a moment and said, “If you still desire triumph in defeating His Conceptual’s reign, then show the confidence you have used to venture far outside Unitas and find what have become your closest companions and greatest comrades.” Crysaius thought that he had no hope in going any further now that he was trapped. However, he still in the back of his mind thought, “I must succeed, I have gotten myself this far, and I will not fall here.” Using what little strength he had, Crysaius managed to get on his feet. After getting on his feet, he quivered in pain from his broken arm and leg.

“Alright… I stood up. But how am I going to help my friends now?” said Crysaius as he breathed heavily.

“Then follow me.” replied the spirit briefly as it began to direct Crysaius. Crysaius tried to follow the spirit, but he had difficulty in moving, having to resort to slowly limping in order to keep up. The spirit was leading Crysaius deeper into the chasm, which appeared to not be a cavern, but the remains of a religious shrine. The blue glow from the spirit dimly lit up the interior of the corridors, which held many unseen sacred, albeit damaged artifacts of a being Crysaius did not know of and depictions of said being. One depiction appeared to be a man with wings raising his sword in front of a crowd of people cheering of his success in a quest.

“Your powers are unique, you are able to mend the wounds of others, yet at the same time, it can be used to harm others.” said the spirit as it continued to lead Crysaius.

“I was said to have been born with it, and through years of training, I became able to use it. What more can I use of it?” replied Crysaius.

“They supposedly call you the harbinger of the sun, am I wrong?” questioned the spirit.

Crysaius hesitated to respond, but finally said, “... In fact, they do. More specifically my Notio does. Though I’ll never understand why it calls me that.”

“If your destiny has deemed you a title, it is your duty to do what is fated to be deemed so.” replied the spirit. Crysaius stopped for a moment and thought back to his childhood, a time he did not expect to remember in the condition he was in. He remembered his young wish of being a hero and tried to do whatever acts he could as a young boy that could be deemed courageous, even dreaming of being part of the Convia Guard. Although he did what he could in every situation, he never was considered by any means a courageous person by those he tried to help as a young boy. Even though he had spent years never looking back at his childhood dream, instead aiming for a less life-threatening profession of a scribe. Only now he had witnessed many experiences that to his younger self would think that such would’ve come from fables.

“Your abilities of the sun are vastly untapped, and I can bestow to you the key to further the potential of it.” said the spirit as it stopped to show Crysaius a stone altar glowing with a luminous azure glow. Additionally, it had a sword covered with decades worth of dust, but appeared to be a longsword of sorts, with the hilt appearing to be of an aged white metal. At first, Crysaius was very tempted to inspect the altar, but he stopped himself before getting any closer.

“Is this… what you’ve been leading me to?” said Crysaius as he turned to the spirit.

“Kneel before the altar and rest your hand on the blade, it shall give upon you a new power and enlightenment in your abilities.” replied the spirit. After hearing the spirit’s answer, Crysaius began to cautiously move closer to the altar, as he felt at this time he desperately needed the power to save his friends and continue his quest. When he stopped before the altar and began to kneel, the spirit warned Crysaius, “But remember, should you accept such a power, you must bear with the burdens of being a paragon of the light...”

Crysaius thought for a moment and continued to look at the sword on the altar. He thought back to his moments in standing up for what he believed in his quest. Protecting a man from the Convia Guard, avenging for the fatal injury of Aeacus and now, he discovered a newfound ambition to grasp victory, no matter his qualms. He then took his hand and emitted a blue aura from it and prepared to grab the sword. His hand slowly and shakily reached out to the sword, but Crysaius knew deeply, that he should no longer hesitate. He then grabbed the grip of the blade and was enveloped in a surge of energy. He could feel new vigor flow into his body, along with his broken limbs and wounds mended immediately. In addition to feeling more invigorated than he had ever been, he felt inside of him a new ability had awoken, an ability fitting for his current dire time. A white spectral formation appeared on his back and the projection of a helmet appeared on his head. As the ritual had completed, a new man stood confident, now wielding the sword from the altar with his open hand emanating a stronger blue aura.

The spirit looked at the revived man and said, “Now, go forth on your quest, and grasp the victory you sought to fight for.” The revived man turned to the spirit and nodded in silent agreement. “But I must warn you, beware of an adversary that was once your kin...” said the spirit as it faded away. With a revitalized confidence, the new man ran out from the ruins to return to his struggle.


	35. Chapter 35

During Crysaius’s absence, the Disciples tried their hardest to stand up against the Angelus Guard, but after several minutes of fighting, they were at their limit. Every single one of them were exhausted and battered with wounds and were at the mercy of the Angelus Guard. Some of them collapsed onto the ground, but Avan still tried to keep on his feet. He tried to stand up, but then collapsed onto his knee.

“You’ve reached your end, Disciples. You are without a leader and death will soon be upon all of you.” said one of the Angelus Guard as they walked closer to them.

“Any more threatening words you herald guardians got in those weird helmets of yours?” said Avan as he wiped the blood from his mouth. While they walked closer to the Disciples, he thought, “Shit, now I know what Crysaius felt before he saved me. Your comrades are wounded, you’re on the verge of defeat and most of it is your own damned fault.” He tried to remain ready to fight as the Angelus Guard closed in on him and the incapacitated Disciples, seemingly trying to maintain Crysaius’s old spirit of leadership, albeit with his apathetic tone trying to express passionate commands. Behind the Disciples was the chasm Crysaius had fallen down, and while they managed to not fall into it, they appeared to be defeated.

Just before the Angelus Guard reached melee distance of the Disciples, a figure flew out from the chasm, surprising them as they jumped back in reaction. The figure landed in between the battered Disciples and the Angelus Guard, who were all holding their guard cautiously.

A soldier raised his spear and yelled, “Identify yourself, interloper!” Avan and the Disciples looked at the being that had ascended and landed before them, and almost immediately, they recognized the person before them. Looking at his back, he wore a familiar blue raiment with a black stripe on its torso and sleeves. However, he had on him a blue winged helmet with metallic white feathers, vaguely similar to the helmets of the Angelus Guard.

“Is that…?” strained Guy as he woke up.

“No, there’s no way he...” said Victire as he woke up along with Aeacus.

“It.. is it really Crysaius?” said Sigrid as she looked up at the figure.

The figure looked at the Angelus Guard and replied, “They call me… Crysaius.” The Disciples upon hearing Crysaius’s voice reacted with complete surprise and disbelief that despite falling down the chasm, was now alive and well.

“Unbelievable… Even in the face of defeat, he can still endure...” said Aeacus as he looked on with surprise.

“You… you’re really alive, Crysaius?!” stuttered Joseph.

Crysaius then turned to his friends, revealing his familiar face to them and said, “I still will not let you down, my friends!” The Angelus Guard looked at Crysaius with indignation and took to the skies, attempting to exploit the Disciples’ weaknesses.

“That’s all good that you’re fine and all, but you got anything you can use against these assholes?” said Avan as he looked at Crysaius.

“You all rest here, as for me, I’ll be fighting them on their own skies.” replied Crysaius. Crysaius’s friends looked at him perplexedly, as they didn’t believe that he could stand up against the Angelus Guard. He then knelt down and a pair of phantasmal white wings formed on Crysaius’s back, as his friends continued to watch with awe. Without warning, Crysaius lept into the air and began to fly upwards to the altitude the Angelus Guard flew at, surprising his friends even more.

“How and when did he learn such an ability?” said Victire with amazement.

“He… can fly? Has he been reborn?” questioned Sigrid.

“We can only have faith in Crysaius.” said Guy confidently as he looked at Crysaius ascend. After reaching a height above the ground, the Angelus Guard prepared to attack, but they did not expect to see Crysaius in the air with them, putting the battle on relatively even ground. In spite of this, they proceeded to clash with Crysaius with their spears. Without fear, Crysaius unsheathed his new sword, now restored to its original glory and its blade shining a light blue shine. Two of the Angelus Guardsmen dove toward Crysaius, but almost immediately he read their intention and descended slightly to dodge their spear jabs, and kicked at their defenseless front sides. The impact of the kick was enough to cause the two guardsmen to lose their balance and concentration with their flying ability, causing them to fall down to the ground and instantly die from the impact. The remaining two guardsmen became more cautious of Crysaius, with one of them moving away from him to attempt to attack him from afar. The guardsman drew his bow and shot a single arrow, aimed straight for Crysaius’s torso while he was occupied with the other guardsman. Even when Crysaius was fighting with another adversary in aerial melee combat, he foresaw the arrow and quickly disengaged his current fight to pursue him. In response to Crysaius turning his attention to him, the guardsman attempted to fire more arrows, hoping to land a shot on him. One arrow managed to hit directly on Crysaius’s helmet covering his eyes, but it only broke in two, causing slight distress to the guardsman. Just before the guardsman was about to be struck by Crysaius, who was quickly flying toward him, he attempted to defend himself by holding up his shield.

“Trying to use a shield in aerial melee?” thought Crysaius as he stopped in front of the shield and held his sword ready for an attack. Although Crysaius had only for the first time used his ability to fly, it was still difficult for him to replicate the maneuvers and stances the Angelus Guard used to maintain their balance and composure in combat. Nevertheless, he managed to utilize his current knowledge in fighting with his learning of flight from examining the Angelus Guard from before. Crysaius swung his blade at the guardsmen, and with a single swing, he pushed aside the guardsman’s shield and then thrusted at the now-defenseless guardsman, breaking his helmet and stabbing his head. Crysais turned around to the last guardsman, who still stood ready to fight, despite his group was defeated before him.

The last guardsman gripped his spear and yelled, “Your fortuitous ability will not carry you any further!”

“Then we’ll see who will see the next day!” shouted Crysaius as he flew quickly to the guardsman, his sword in hand. The two slashed at each other, but the guardsman lost his balance from the hit and fell to the ground, albeit alive. He got back on his feet and prepared to enter the air again, but he saw before him Crysaius diving down at him and could not react in time to defend himself. In a bright blue streak, Crysaius slashed at the guardsman. The guardsman fell back from the attack limply and Crysaius had pulled victory from what was a hopeless fight to his friends and himself.

Crysaius turned to his friends and raised his helmet to reveal his eyes and showed a look of confidence, reassuring his friends of victory. They all ran toward him, all of them praising him and being thankful of him being alive.

“C… Crysaius? It’s a miracle you are alive!” cried Joseph as he looked at Crysaius with tears of joy.

“I don’t know how you did it, but you’re a damned bloody fine fighter that cheated death!” yelled Guy as he patted Crysaius’s back.

“I don’t even believe in resurrection, as bullshit as it is, but I’ll believe it for this!” said Victire astonishedly.

“Science can’t explain this, but no matter that! You’re alive, Crysaius!” said Aeacus in his excited tone.

“Crysaius!” yelled Sigrid as she embraced Crysaius and cried as she felt his presence after escape from death. Crysaius did not expect such feelings, but tried to accept them, as he did save his friends.

Avan walked up to Crysaius, sighed and said, “Well, you’ve pulled another victory out of nowhere yet again. What’ll be the next insane stunt you do next?”

“I know it was a rough battle and I may have let you down earlier, it’s a burden I take as a leader. Although I feel a new person with a new power and spirit, just remember: I’m always here to lead us to victory and to maintain our unity.” replied Crysaius. His friends looked at him with confident eyes and restored faith, ready to continue on to defeat His Conceptual. Crysaius and Aeacus then mended the wounds of everyone, preparing them to continue on. They all then looked toward their original direction to Unitas, ready to march onward.

Sigrid turned to Crysaius and said, “So, are we ready to move on to Unitas, Dawn?”

Crysaius looked up confidently and replied, “Onwards to Unitas!” Crysaius and his friends then continued their march back to Unitas, with a newly-revived faith in their crusade to defeat His Conceptual and put an end to his religious agenda. As the Disciples continued to walk to Unitas, a new day had dawned upon them, with the sun looking down at them, lighting their path to victory.

The Disciples for a short moment took the time to turn around and see the sun rise and pour light on the darkened land around them. The Disciples looked at the rising sun and felt more spirited about the struggle ahead of them.

“It’s a another dawn of a new day, a day of fighting in this struggle and triumph.” said Crysaius as he admired the sun, much like how he did every morning in Unitas.


	36. Chapter 36

At the late afternoon, Crysaius began to recognize the ground he and his friends were walking upon. They were climbing up an incline with patches of grass and rocks, one that Crysaius had walked on when he escaped Unitas. After several minutes of climbing, the Disciples reached the top of the hill and before them in the distance laid Unitas, Crysaius’s hometown and where His Conceptual rested. From afar, it still looked the same, even alert, having walls enclosing it and its people inside and the Citadel of His Conceptual standing tall in the center of it. Crysaius sighed nostalgically as he saw Unitas again after months of traveling.

“Unitas... it still looks the same as when I escaped from it...” said Crysaius as he looked off at Unitas nostalgically.

“Hmph. I expected less from the town you originated from.” scoffed Avan apathetically, ignoring the splendor of Unitas.

“So this is Unitas?” said Joseph as he curiously looked at it.

“Looks quite a nation if it’s got walls that high with guards around it.” said Guy.

“This is the center of this religious conflict? How can an army of spears stand up to guns?” said Victire confusedly.

“How does it keep itself superior with such inferior sciences?” wondered Aeacus.

“Unitas… So this is the home of my supposed enemy...” said Sigrid. When the Disciples finished looking at Unitas, they then set up a small camp to rest and observe the movement of the guards on the walls and within the town. The rest of the Disciples rested while Victire looked at Unitas with binoculars he found in Nordvegg, which to Guy, seemed like an interesting device to ascertain distant objects.

Crysaius walked up to Victire and asked, “What do you see in Unitas, Victire?”

“I count at least 200, maybe more, guards on the walls, maybe there’s more in there at the ready with bows. I’ve also looked within the walls, and it seems there’s some soldiers at every turn.” examined Victire as he continued to watch.

“That might rule out any covert approach. What about the citadel, anything there?” replied Crysaius. Victire set his eyes on the citadel, and examined it. Along with the standard Convia Guard soldier patrolling, there was nothing else of note.

He then lower his binoculars and said, “Looks just as guarded as the rest of this damned town. I don’t know how we’re going to get in without getting too battered by them.”

“Are there any back entrances you know of, Crysaius?” asked Guy as he walked up to the two.

“I’m afraid that there isn’t any other way in or out from Unitas, aside from the one time Procopius opened one of the gates in order for me to escape.” replied Crysaius.

“Well, we seem to be at quite an impasse here. We can’t let them see us, that would be the end of us, and we can’t even get past the walls.” said Victire to Crysaius as he stowed away his binoculars. Crysaius returned to his resting Disciples and thought about how he could get his friends and himself past the walls of Unitas and at His Conceptual’s citadel without much harm, but nothing seemed to come to his mind.

“Any progress on coming up with a plan?” said Avan while he lied on his back.

“Sadly, no. But I’m still thinking.” replied Crysaius.

“Alright, we’ll just keep resting until you somehow come up with one.” replied Avan as he sat up to polish his knife. The rest of the Disciples used the time to rest by performing maintenance on their weapons or passing the time by talking with each other, as it was mildly comforting to them with an imminent attack on the horizon. Despite this, Crysaius continued to think about his plan of attack on Unitas. Hours passed and the evening had arrived, and Crysaius continued to think while his friends waited on a hasty meal Joseph was cooking. The rest of his friends all sat to eat their meal and Guy gave a bowl of it to Crysaius for politeness.

Avan sat next to Crysaius and said, “Well, you’ve been quiet for the past hours or so. Did you think of something or are you just staring off into space and wasting the reader’s time?”

Crysaius ate some of his meal and replied, “Well, I did think of one possible way we could invade Unitas, but it’s going to be strange...” Each of Crysaius’s friends looked at him curiously, as they eagerly awaited his response. “This is going to be unusual, but I thought that I could use my powers to temporarily grant you all flight, given how united we are...”

“I know we have faith in you Crysaius, but doesn’t that sound not possible?” replied Victire.

“You can fly, Crysaius, but giving that to all of us is a strange ritual, if it can be done!” replied Joseph.

“Wait, how will this work?” asked Sigrid.

Crysaius shook his head and confidently replied, “I don’t know, but we’ve had a long journey behind us, have we? All of this, stemming from me accidentally uncovering evil within Unitas. I never suspected that one day I’d see the world outside Unitas and meet comrades for my quest that would become my greatest friends and allies… We’ve endured through numerous situations, and now we stand before our final battles of our quest. I ask that tomorrow morning we stand ready for our strike on His Conceptual, ready to grasp victory.” Crysaius’s friends looked at him with hesitation, but their expressions turned into confidence as they agreed to his plan to attack Unitas, as they rested faith with him.

Guy looked at Crysaius and said, “While I do agree with this plan, we should at least finish our meals first.” He then took a bite from his food and showed slight disgust. “Ergh, it’s already gotten cold.” The Disciples then took the time to finish their meals and rest before their confrontation, as they knew there was no turning back from that point onwards.

When night fell upon them, the soldiers in Unitas were still hard at work patrolling every corner of Unitas and watching out for the Disciples. Crysaius looked at them one last time through Victire’s binoculars.

“Those soldiers are quite the zealots there.” commented Victire.

“We’ll see tomorrow.” said Crysaius as he returned the binoculars. He then reunited with the rest of his friends behind the hill to rest for the next day. Some of them were anxious about facing off against a large military force, but they still maintained confidence. Within a few moments, all of the Disciples had fallen asleep and awaited the next morning. Crysaius was yet again the last person awake, as he still had some worries stewing in his head. He mostly thought about the words of the spirit he had met in the chasm, worrying about his warnings. One of them confused him greatly, telling him to look out for his “adversary that was once his kin”. He wondered if there was someone like that, but he disregarded it and slowly went to sleep in preparation for their attack tomorrow.


	37. Chapter 37

The following morning, the Disciples stood bound at the top of the hill they waited on, setting their sights on His Conceptual’s citadel. Meanwhile inside Unitas, soldiers patrolled back and forth on every inch of the city, within every sector and every person in Unitas were inspected constantly for any thoughts against His Conceptual. The soldiers up on the walls of Unitas continued to watch for the Disciples, as they felt their arrival imminent and were ready to strike. The sun had recently rose behind the Disciples and shone on the land below as they waited.

Avan piped up and said, “Alright, enough of this dramatic stand off, what’re you going to do, Crysaius?”

Crysaius looked at Avan and replied, “Well, I don’t have any motivational speech before this confrontation, but, are we ready to strike His Conceptual?” Every one of Crysaius’s friends expressed their enthusiastic agreement in his plan, while Avan remained apathetic and only nodded slightly. After the call, Crysaius looked toward His Conceptual’s citadel and lowered his helmet to cover his eyes. He then held his sword up at the level of his chest and thrusted it into the sky, where it shone with a white aura. Crysaius then swung his blade to the side, and all around him and his friends, the aura empowered them. Without warning, all of them felt a lifting sensation within them and acted anxious of it.

“Wh… What is this weird thing you’re doing, Crysaius?” said Joseph as he looked down at the fleeting ground.

“I’ve bestowed upon you all the ability to fly, but there isn’t much time, we’ll fly to His Conceptual!” said Crysaius to his friends confidently.

“Right!” agreed each of them as they prepared to fly. Crysaius and his friends then flew from the top of the hill to Unitas with spirit, fearless of the obstacles ahead of them. The wind blew against each of the Disciples’s faces, which was a slight difficulty, albeit bearable. The feeling of flight gave them all a feeling they’ve never felt before, a feeling not only of elation, but of freedom and readiness and their resolve for victory. A group of guards on the walls of Unitas saw the Disciples flying toward them, and despite their astonishment, they immediately alerted the rest of the guards.

A guard ran up to Belisarius and shouted, “They’re here! They’re using flight to invade!”

Belisarius looked ahead from the citadel balcony and saw the Disciples in the distance, flying toward them, much to his vexation.

“Damn it! All guards, fire all arrows at them! Any guards not on the wall, fortify the citadel!” yelled Belisarius as his lieutenants relayed his orders to the rest of the troops. Every guard on the walls drew their arrows, ready to release them at a moment’s notice.

“Crysaius, you got anything that can have us avoid these archers?” said Avan.

“Ready your weapons, and when they all fire, disperse and quickly get over the walls! Once we’re over, just rush to the citadel!” replied Crysaius as he continued to fly toward Unitas alongside his friends. Each of them put their weapons at the ready, and awaited for the moment the Convia Guard attacked them with their barrage of arrows. The Disciples were quickly closing the distance between themselves and Unitas, but they continued onwards without fear. The instant the Disciples were in the effective range of the arrows, a lieutenant yelled out the call to his soldiers.

“Fire!” In a single moment, a hail of arrows flew towards the Disciples. Shortly after the first strike, the Disciples all unsheathed their weapons and used all of their combat ability to parry the arrows, deflecting or breaking them in two while still flying through the barrage.

The moment they cut through the barrage, Crysaius yelled, “Now! Disperse!” Each of the Disciples flew apart from each other and all flew high above the guards on the walls and entered the confines of Unitas. The soldiers reacted with frustration as they saw them enter the bounds of Unitas and continue their assault on the citadel. Belisarius saw the intrusion from afar and only looked at the event with pure anger.

While the Disciples took different routes on their way to His Conceptual’s citadel, they were not without difficulties in their run. Avan and Guy chose to ran on the rooftops of buildings, while avoiding arrows from the Convia Guard. Avan managed to fend himself by impossibly deflecting arrows using only his knife and dodged any fatal attacks by utilizing his illusion copies to reposition himself.

“Using a whole army against a single quick person is a waste, do they not know that?” argued Avan as he jumped from a rooftop to another. Guy only used his superior speed to avoid confrontation and attacks from the guards, dodging and dashing through every attempt.

“Bloody hell, I’m thankful of being quick enough to evade all this!” thought Guy as he dodged another arrow attack. Joseph, Victire and Aeacus remained a height above Unitas as they flew toward the citadel, which made them fare no better aside from arrow attacks. In response, Joseph and Victire launched magic spells and lightning shots down at the soldiers, while Aeacus maintained the two and himself’s conditions.

A stray arrow grazed Victire’s face and he grunted, “God damn, even with this flight, they still want to stop us.”

“I’ll show them what’s for by shoving their severed hands down their throats!” yelled Aeacus as he clutched his bone cutter.

“Leave them be, Aeacus, we can’t stop now!” said Joseph as he flew onwards to His Conceptual’s citadel with Victire and Aeacus.

Lastly, Crysaius and Sigrid flew low near the roads of Unitas while staying a reasonable height above the ground. As they flew past numerous landmarks that were familiar to Crysaius, the two cut through the opposition between them and His Conceptual’s citadel. With steel blades and glaives, they pushed through the soldiers in their way and continued their charge. Crysaius never thought that there would be a time in his life where he would fight against his own town’s soldiers, He had some people he had known from his seminary recognize him and call him out, to which he only turned his head for a moment to see them, gesture at them and then continue flying onwards.

The sensation of flight to the Disciples felt very jarring, yet exonerating, as while they soared through the air, they felt great spirit and confidence in their quest. After several minutes of fighting through Unitas’s military, the Disciples began to approach the walls of His Conceptual’s citadel. They then reassembled in a loose flying formation and prepared to make one last bound over their final obstacle.

“Alright, we’ve fought through the bulk of those troops, we have one last wall to go over! We haven’t much time left with the flight I’ve given you!” said Crysaius as he rallied his comrades. Crysaius and his friends soared over the front gate of His Conceptual’s citadel, fighting on with undying spirit. As their flight dispersed, Crysaius and his friends began to fall downwards back to the ground, ready to fight back against one of their last obstacles. Joseph and Victire faced backwards and eliminated any guards on the wall that would attempt to shoot them with arrows while the other Disciples stood ready to attack the soldiers on the ground. The instant they landed on the ground, dust kicked up from the impact, temporarily obscuring the views of everyone. The Disciples took the initiative and struck first and made one last struggle for the entrance, fending off every soldier while staying together in a packed phalanx formation. Belisarius watched from the balcony of the citadel and while he felt anger from how the Disciples had progressed this far, he also feared death was near him, as well as the end.

He turned to a lieutenant near him and said, “Do everything in your power to prevent them from reaching His Conceptual.”

“Yes sir, but what about your position?” replied the lieutenant.

“Until further notice, this will be my final order. The fate of this conflict is in the hands of anyone.” ended Belisarius as he walked back into the citadel, uncertainly relinquishing his role as general of the Unitas military. He walked into a dim room, where Tribonian, Cappadocius and another man, a scribe, awaited.

Tribonian while folding his arms turned to Belisarius and said, “Well, the end is nearing for all of us, isn’t it. And soon I’ll be without chaos to fix.”

“Everything we’ve helped His Conceptual create: all a waste and thwarted by seven imbeciles that was written in some idiotic prophecy that Procopius believed in.” complained Cappadocius as he flipped a coin absentmindedly.

“This isn’t the end just yet, we will defend His Conceptual with our lives and stop them right there and now. We live for the order we were created to uphold, we die with it.” replied Belisarius as rallied the two. Tribonian and Cappadocius scornfully, yet willingly, began to follow Belisarius to prepare their last line of defense. However, the other man in the room piped up.

“If you think that I am at fault for bringing about this entire conflict, then let me be a part of the ones that will end it.” said the scribe.

The three turned to the scribe and Belisarius replied, “You’ve always been both a trustworthy yet also unreliable man, but can we trust you in this time of great need?”

“Why not see our favorite student one last time, then?” added the scribe as he stood up and joined Belisarius’s group. Belisarius reluctantly accepted the scribe into his group, but knew that if he wanted to defend His Conceptual in this time, he would need all the help he could get.

After several minutes of fighting with the citadel guards, the Disciples finally managed to enter the citadel. They were quite battered, but still in a high enough condition to continue fighting. The moment they entered the citadel, the chaos from outside became significantly softer, which was unusual to the tired Disciples. Crysaius had never stepped foot into the citadel, and even as a person who has lived in Unitas his entire life, it felt completely unfamiliar. The hallways ahead of the Disciples appeared dark and empty, while still being dimly lit by some windows and furnished by some enigmatic artifacts of His Conceptual’s reign. Unusually, there were very few, if not no men patrolling the interior of the citadel.

“So, this is what His Conceptual’s place of power looks like...” said Crysaius, who felt nervous stepping foot into the citadel.

“Crysaius, is there something wrong?” asked Sigrid.

“No, I’m fine. It’s just that I’ve never actually been in His Conceptual’s citadel before, and now that I have, it feels… unsettling.” replied Crysaius. “Though I’m not backing down because of fear, we’ve made it this far.”

“Why are there less guards here than outside, to begin with?” questioned Victire as he looked around with the rest of the Disciples.

“Let’s get a move on, everyone.” rallied Crysaius as they cautiously walked through the corridors of the citadel, moving closer to His Conceptual.


	38. Chapter 38

The resounding silence from the hallways and chambers of His Conceptual’s citadel felt very jarring to the Disciples as it greatly contrasted with the chaos they had dealt with from outside. Smooth ivory floor tiles lined the ground the Disciples walked on, their steps echoing throughout the halls. The walls and pillars seemed to be made out of a smooth stone, some parts with ornate decoration to also allow for natural light to shine in. For some unknown reason, the opposition from the guards in the citadel had gone down to a minimum, which confused the Disciples. With how sparse their encounters were, the Disciples even took time to examine the some of the relics that were present in some rooms of the citadel. One room had some artifacts hanging on the wall, some of them looking familiar to the Disciples. One of them was seemingly a relic from Nordvegg, confusing the Disciples greatly.

“How could His Conceptual just have pieces of old armor from my hometown hanging up here?” said Victire in confusion.

“Even more strange, why are there relics of our hometowns present here if Unitas hasn’t even heard of half of them?” said Joseph as he and Guy looked at some displayed Fabricus relics.

“No, it can’t be… all of these? Created by His Conceptual?” argued Aeacus as he looked on with disbelief. While Crysaius’s friends inspected the relics, Crysaius read his Notio to clarify some things.

“Come to think of it, that might explain why His Conceptual has knowledge of where every Disciple was… but this doesn’t add up...” said Crysaius as he thought. He continued to think, trying to relate His Conceptual’s enigmatic nature and other bits of information he could muster. Unfortunately, he could not formulate any connection that explained the strange treatment His Conceptual gave to the people of Unitas. “I don’t understand, if His Conceptual actually a god in material form, this would marginally make sense?” said Crysaius as he continued thinking.

“Not to be that one asshat who somehow knows everything, but if you considered if His Conceptual were an actual god, wouldn’t he had us all dead from the beginning?” chimed Avan.

“Why are we still alive, then?” replied Sigrid.

“Don’t ask me, I’m not the asshat who somehow knows everything.” growled Avan in response.

“This is going to sound strange, but we might’ve been born with a purpose even greater than just defeating His Conceptual. Something about this just seems suspicious.” theorized Crysaius as he put away his Notio.

“Like this hasn’t been suspicious from the start?” replied Avan.

“Regardless, we shouldn’t stand around here looking at history, His Conceptual awaits us.” said Crysaius as he gathered his friends to continue onwards. The hallways onward started to have less natural lighting and instead was lit with torches or candles. After a few encounters with elite guardsmen, Crysaius and his friends felt themselves getting closer and closer to His Conceptual. They reached a flight of stairs, which lead to His Conceptual’s throne room. At this very moment, the Disciples silently agreed to climb the stairs as one, their greatest enemy was drawing nearer by the second. Every step they took they ascended, marching forward without fear to take on His Conceptual. Crysaius thought to himself as he climbed upwards, about how far he has come. His Conceptual’s reign was almost at an end, and it still seemed surprising that he and his friends were the ones to execute it, as inexplicable as it was. Similar thoughts went through the others’ minds, thinking about how their current situation was vastly different than they expected before they were entwined in the religious struggle of His Conceptual. Though, they could not afford to think about their pasts while near the end of their quest.

They soon reached the top of the stairs and were met with a hallway where at the end was a large set of doors, presumably the entrance to His Conceptual’s throne room. Crysaius and his friends cautiously marched toward them, as their final opponent drew near. However, when they went halfway through the hallway, some familiar figures came to intervene. Out from the other side came Tribonian, Cappadocius and Belisarius, the three figures that impeded their quest at almost every turn. Crysaius and his friends stood ready for combat as the three stopped before them.

“We won’t let you go any further with your crusade, Crysaius!” threatened Tribonian as he thrusted his arm out and emanated a purple aura from it.

“You and your inconsiderate fools shouldn’t have gotten this far, but here we are. Hope you’re ready to pay for your sins.” said Cappadocius as he loaded his crossbow with a bolt and aimed it at the Disciples.

“You may have had the upper hand initially from every encounter, but with my friends, we are strong!” responded Crysaius as he grasped his sword.

“Some of us won’t fall for the same mistakes in our first encounters, Crysaius.” said Tribonian.

“Your tactic of using empowered friends as comrades I admit seemed most unusual, but in this desperate time, I find myself using it.” said Belisarius as he looked sternly at Crysaius.

“Oh, the innocent form of plagiarism, except this time you’re copying a strategy?” snarked Avan.

“In these times, there is no such thing as stealing, much like collecting taxes from the people.” replied Cappadocius.

“You only have yourself and Tribonian and Cappadocius, how we you going to match with us?” questioned Crysaius.

“I’ll correct you on that: Tribonian, Cappadocius, myself and someone you might find familiar.” responded Belisarius as he stood in presentation of someone. Crysaius and his friends remained cautious of the person Belisarius called upon as a comrade of his, watching him walk down the hallway. As the man drew closer to the standoff and stopped beside Belisarius, Crysaius soon recognized the man, a man he has not seen since his departure from Unitas.

“So, it’s finally come up to this point, Crysaius?” said Procopius as he looked at his student after not seeing him in months.

“Procopius? How could you have been serving His Conceptual all along?” said Crysaius.

“I do indeed serve His Conceptual. While I was the one that started your journey to seek the Disciples, that doesn’t mean I am not obligated to stop you here and now.” replied Procopius.

“Foretell an esoteric fate, and here we are to test if such a superstition can truly bring about a downfall.” chimed Tribonian. In spite of the fact Crysaius must defeat Procopius along with the three advisors of His Conceptual, he accepted the possible outcome of the impending fight and remained vigilant.

Guy quietly said to Crysaius, “Procopius there seems a bit frail to fight us, are they up to something?”

“I’ve never seen Procopius fight before, but be cautious of his actions.” warned Crysaius to his friends. The Disciples and His Conceptual’s advisors continued to await the first attack, anticipating any action that would result. After a few seconds, Cappadocius fired a bolt toward the Disciples, and they all dispersed to attack them in smaller groups. Tribonian was engaged by Aeacus and Joseph, and attempted to fend them off using his magic. He had improved his abilities since his first failure, being able to maintain his focus on two targets while still effectively using his magic. Aeacus wildly lashed out at him using his bone cutter and Joseph gave support from a distance by launching spells to add pressure for Tribonian. However, just as Tribonian dodged an attack from Joseph, at the last moment he used his abilities to materialize a small blade made from his powers in his open hand to guard against Aeacus’s attack. The two weapons grinded at each other, just barely above Tribonian’s neck.

“A fine attempt at replicating my first mistake, but can it WITHSTAND MY EMPOWERED POTENTIAL?!” shouted Tribonian maniacally as he glared at Aeacus.

Aeacus glared back and responded angrily, “You have a foul view of your own efforts… But let me be the first to rival your lunacy!” Tribonian then forced through the blade lock and kicked Aeacus aside as he attempted to pursue Joseph. Aeacus quickly tailed Tribonian to defend Joseph, who prepared to strike back against the jurist.

“I’ll start with YOU, impotent artisan!” yelled Tribonian as his hand glowed with purple energy.

“Ah dear, no!” said Joseph in angered surprise. He then attempted to backpedal to buy himself more time to prepare another spell and also give Aeacus a chance to attack Tribonian from behind.

Meanwhile Cappadocius was under attack by Guy and Victire, who were attacking him with rapier jabs and lightning shots. Cappadocius, too, had learned from his mistakes and had no qualms of backing down, now that his fight was one he would either live or die. The shots Victire fired had less of a surprise to Cappadocius, which frustrated him somewhat.

“Great, now you’re using some equipment out of nowhere to protect yourself against my attacks?” said Victire as he reloaded his gun with more charge.

Cappadocius revealed his arms and said, “If you can harness lightning, it should only be reasonable that I use materials from your hometown as a way to counter it!” His arms were wrapped in a rubber-like fabric, similar to a substance that inhibits electricity. “Just try to cripple me now, heretic!” taunted Cappadocius. In response, Guy attempted to kick him, but Cappadocius managed to dodge in time and counterattacked by firing bolts at Guy.

Guy dodged as well, but only made it out with a single bolt embedded in him. “How about you shut your mouth with your arrogance?!” he yelled angrily as he jabbed his rapier at Cappadocius. The attack drove deeply into Cappadocius’s shoulder, but he jumped back to get Guy and Victire in his line of sight. He loaded more bolts into his crossbow and proceeded to take aim at the two as they continued to clash with him.

Belisarius faced off against Crysaius, as the final time he would fight with a student of his. With Crysaius’s empowered state, the two were evenly-matched, with a clash between Crysaius’s young spirit and Belisarius’s wizened intuition. Crysaius also had the support of Avan and Sigrid, who fought alongside him, hoping to overpower Belisarius. Although he was seemingly outnumbered, he was able to hold off against blade, knife and glaive. Belisarius blocked against an attack from Crysaius, using the armor on his forearm. While Belisarius tried to hold off against Crysaius’s attack, he realized Avan and Sigrid had positioned to flank him.

“Now! Attack him while I have him!” commanded Crysaius to Avan and Sigrid. The two struck Belisarus, but their attacks were stopped by an outside force.

“What… What is this?” questioned Sigrid as she examined her glaive. Avan and Sigrid’s attacks did not land on Belisarius, but rather landed on a strange transparent and shaped barrier around Belisarius, protecting him from attacks. Crysaius looked around for a moment and saw Procopius a short distance away from the clash, extending his hand out and emanating an aura from it. Crysaius felt greatly insulted to see his academic preacher acting against him, and looked at Belisarius angrily.

“Why would he assist you, of all things!” said Crysaius.

Belisarius chuckled and said, “Procopius is more than just a man who writes history, follows my campaigns and teaches. He does indeed have powers of his own, those that empower us!” He then turned to Procopius and commanded, “Now, let’s eliminate these fools!” Procopius silently agreed, and performed another gesture, which caused Belisarius’s blade to glow a cyan radiance and emit sparks. He then made a single wide swing at Crysaius, Avan and Sigrid, who all avoided it barely, only surviving with considerable wounds on their shoulders or arms. Belisarius looked at the three and stood ready to fight.

Crysaius turned to Avan and Sigrid and said, “Avan, Sigrid, aim for Procopius! I’ll fight Belisarius on my own!” The two silently agreed to his commands and began to engage Procopius. Belisarius noticed the two running to Procopius and attempted to attack them, but was interrupted by Crysaius.

“A fight between the two of us? I never suspected you would challenge me to that.” said Belisarius as he blocked Crysaius’s attack.

“A fight without any of our comrades supporting us, Belisarius, right here, right now!” replied Crysaius as he stood ready to fight.

As Avan and Sigrid pursued Procopius, he noticed the two and stopped empowering Belisarius to defend himself. Procopius saw the two charge toward him and swing their weapons, to which he reacted by projecting a barrier that blocked the two’s attacks.

“You shall not defeat my faith in His Conceptual!” yelled Procopius as he held back the attacks from the two.

“Can you shut up about your faith already? It’s gotten old long ago.” complained Avan. He then performed a sweeping kick underneath the barrier Procopius had created, knocking him off his feet and breaking his concentration with holding the barrier up. Although Procopius possessed the ability to support his comrades and heal them, he was disadvantaged from the fact that he was of an old age and not accustomed to combat, unlike his three comrades. He managed to stand back up, and saw Sigrid about to attack him. He quickly guarded against each strike, projecting small barriers at each position of her attacks. He then attempted to make an offense against Sigrid, but he was caught in her counterattack, a single slash on his abdomen. He began to stagger, as he was incredibly frail due to his old age, and at that moment, he realized his position, a person who started Crysaius’s quest and now was the person who would be defeated by his comrades while defending His Conceptual. He then noticed Avan standing behind him, but made no effort to defend himself as Avan swung his knife, cutting across his back and severely injuring Procopius. He slumped forward and fell onto the floor and laid in his own blood.

“... So… this is the spirit you possess to defeat His Conceptual…? I only wish that you use it wisely...” said Procopius weakly. Avan and Sigrid looked at the unconscious Procopius and felt a sense of guilt of inevitably killing a man that only wanted to write history and teach.

Meanwhile, Tribonian had done a great deal of damage on Joseph and Aeacus, who were both significantly injured from his tirade. He had his eyes on Joseph, who was lying on the ground and still trying to reach for his staff to defend himself.

“Finally, I’ll put an end to you, artisan!” threatened Tribonian as he conjured arrows that floated behind him, ready to be fired at the crippled Joseph. However, just before a single arrow was fired, Tribonian felt his leg was grabbed by something. He looked down and saw Aeacus, bloodied and injured, grabbing onto his leg. “LET GO OF MY LEG, YOU UNETHICAL APOTHECARY!” yelled Tribonian manaically as he shook his leg to get Aeacus off.

“HOW ABOUT YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH, YOU CRAZED JURIST?!” yelled Aeacus as he brandished his bone cutter. He then swung the cutter into Tribonian’s leg, digging into his flesh and cutting deeply into his bones. Tribonian screamed in agony as he felt the surgical tool cut into his leg and fell on his side.

“I’LL BE SURE TO HAVE YOU LAWFULLY EXECUTED!” yelled Tribonian at Aeacus as he covered his wound.

Aeacus then crawled away from the crippled Tribonian and shouted to Joseph, “NOW! TAKE HIM DOWN!” Tribonian looked up and saw Joseph, who was barely standing up while kneeling on his knee, charging a spell on his staff. Tribonian saw the attack and tried to reach for his tome to defend against it, but was too late. A large spectral beam fired out from Joseph’s staff and engulfed Tribonian, much like his first encounter with Joseph. Aeacus had barely gotten out of the range of the attack, and saw on with exhaustion Tribonian’s damage as he was damaged from the intensity of the attack. After a few moments, the beam dissipated, and Tribonian laid on the ground, scorched and unconscious from the strain on him and Joseph’s final blow. Aeacus sighed a breath of relief and laid on his back in exhaustion, after seeing confirmation that Tribonian was dead.

After the fall of Tribonian, Cappadocius was still trying to hold his own against Guy and Victire, who have switched to more aggressive close quarters combat. The increased pressure on him made it increasingly difficult for him for him to dodge, as they attacked him from opposing sides. However, he saw Victire attempt to prod his gun into his back and ducked. He then grabbed Victire, who fumbled from Cappadocius’s dodge, and flung him by his shoulder into the floor of the citadel, causing it to break Victire’s arm and a part of the floor. Victire writhed on the ground as he tried to grab his gun to attack Cappadocius, but his hand was stepped on by Cappadocius, who now stood over him, aiming his crossbow at his head.

“Now, we’re finally even, heretic. Now let’s see you pay with your life.” said Cappadocius has he rested his finger on the trigger of his crossbow. Guy saw Victire in peril and immediately sprang forth to save him. He took out the gun he had kept from Nordvegg, and jumped in front of Cappadocius’s face while he aimed it directly at Cappadocius’s forehead.

He looked at Cappadocius with a scornful expression and said coldly, “The law won’t be forgiving your greedy acts, Cappadocius.” A loud bang echoed through the hall and Cappadocius was knocked off of Victire and landed on the floor on his back. He was no longer moving, and on his forehead was a wound where the bullet had entered. Guy helped Victire up on his feet and hoisted his arm over his neck. The two looked with contempt at the dead Cappadocius, but with some relief that they were still alive.

“He really dealt a lot on me… Damn, I never suspected a tax collector would hold that brutal a grudge for me.” said Victire as he breathed heavily.

“I never thought I could kill him using that firearm… but at least he has fallen.” said Guy as he looked at the dead Cappadocius.

Lastly, the battle between Crysaius and Belisarius was still even, with not a single side making progress on the other. The two managed to block and parry each of their own attacks, somewhat impressing Belisarius, as he now saw that Crysaius could truly stand on his own with the knowledge he had gained from his adventure.

“You’ve learned quite a lot from your silly crusade, Crysaius, but are you willing to accept the fate of those that are engulfed by their ambition?” said Belisarius as he blocked against an attack.

“The only fate I see is His Conceptual’s downfall!” retorted Crysaius. Belisarius then thrusted his open hand in a hook punch, landing on Crysaius’s side, which caused him to flinch. With Crysaius open for an attack, Belisarius swung at Crysaius a few times with his sword, cutting wounds on his arm and torso. However, when Belisarius attempted to swing a third time on Crysaius, but he put up his guard and blocked against the strike, surprising Belisarius. He then pushed Belisarius onto the floor and leapt into the air, revealed his Valkyrian wings and prepared for a final strike on him. Belisarius tried to reach for his sword that he dropped, but he was at the mercy of Crysaius Dawn, who flew toward him with determined eyes and ready to swing his blade at him. Belisarius at the last moment managed to grab his blade and attempted to guard against him, but in a single swing, Crysaius’s attack cut through Belisarius’s face and broke his blade. As Crysaius continued to cut through Belisarius’s body, his blade shone with blue sparks as it assisted with cutting through the armor. After moments of effort, Crysaius had cut through Belisarius’s armor and his body, dealing fatal damage on Belisarius. Belisarius tried to raise his other hand to attack Crysaius, but fell back down to the floor, as he had spent his last ounce of strength in his last defense against Crysaius.

Crysaius staggered as he retracted his sword from Belisarius and looked at the unmoving body of his former mentor, triumphant yet remorseful of the fact he had to take his life. His friends promptly reunited with him, as injured as they were after they had defeated their opponents. They too felt the triumph of victory, but the exhaustion of their arduous battle against His Conceptual’s officers of governance. Crysaius slouched somewhat as he looked at Belisarius.

“We… we’ve killed them, have we?” said Joseph as he panted and looked at the bodies.

“I hope so, I hate to see these assholes alive while we have our backs to them.” added Avan as he covered his wound.

“They were formidable opponents, but we should rest before we take on His Conceptual.” announced Crysaius as he slouched somewhat. The Disciples took a short moment to rest and had Crysaius and Aeacus treat their wounds with their abilities. When they were mended and not bleeding, the Disciples stood up and continued walking to the other end of the hallway, where His Conceptual awaited.

However, just as they began to walk away, something awry had occurred. A slight sound was made by Belisarius and his comrades, which prompted the Disciples to turn around and stand cautious for any unexpected attacks.

Belisarius chuckled lightly while he laid on the floor and said, “So… you’ve finally done it, Crysaius...  You finally showed your superiority over me and these other people you’ve known...”

Procopius also turned to look at Crysaius and said, “I never thought I would have my life taken from one of my students… but in a way, I am proud to see that you and your friends indeed possess the will to fight back against His Conceptual and what he’s created...”

“You’ve proven yourselves as brave souls, worthy of seeking the greater knowledge of our existence and yours...” said Cappadocius.

“Don’t mourn for any of us, Crysaius. Just go to His Conceptual and face off against him… The bloodshed of many is inevitable...” said Tribonian with an increasingly weaker voice.

Belisarius smiled slightly as he looked at Crysaius one last time. “And another thing Crysaius… You’ve made me proud on how much you have learned… and… we are not of… His Conceptual’s creations… but merely...” he said before he had completely perished. Crysaius felt  relatively reassured from the final words of His Conceptual’s officers, and continued to walk with his friends to His Conceptual’s throne room.

“You… you don’t have any regrets of killing them, do you, Crysaius?” asked Sigrid.

Crysaius sighed and replied, “Belisarius told me before that battle is a time where peaceful negotiation has failed, and when in battle, peace cannot be attained until one side surrenders or is defeated.” “It might be quite a resentful subject, but while we may seem like irredeemable enemies of Unitas, we can only hope that we’re fighting for the good of freedom for the people in Unitas and outside it.” continued Crysaius. Each one of Crysaius’s friends nodded in agreement, and felt confident that their encounter with His Conceptual will go well.

As the Disciples continued walking through the rest of the hallway, the large double doors leading to His Conceptual’s throne room approaching them, they all anxiously thought about how their encounter with His Conceptual would go. Many thought that he would put up a fight, judging from descriptions of him being a powerful god, or that he would surrender willingly, given how he has lost many campaigns against such a small group of people. However, before the Disciples reached the doors, Crysaius saw ahead of him a shadowed figure of someone that looked familiar. He looked closer and saw that it looked like himself, and he tried to alert his friends of it. Unfortunately, the instant he stopped and lifted his arm to point at the shadowed figure, it looked at Crysaius for a brief moment with an empty look. It then showed its fist, which glowed in a similar aura to Crysaius’s, except red instead of blue. After a moment, it immediately disappeared, confusing Crysaius on what had happened.

“Is there something wrong, Crysaius?” said Guy as he looked at the stunned Crysaius.

“...N…. No, I just thought I saw something. Did anyone see something standing in front of the doors?” replied Crysaius as he asked his friends. They all replied with “no”, to which Crysaius decided what he saw could have just been an attempt from His Conceptual to demoralize him in his final stretch.

After a few more moments of walking, and the Disciples were at last, at the final destination of their quest. The doors to His Conceptual’s throne room loomed over them and stood almost as high as gates on city walls. The Disciples felt anxious, as they could feel the looming danger ahead of them, but they remained steadfast.

Crysaius gazed at the large doors and said, “So, we’ve finally reached the gates to our final ordeal.”

Avan adjusted his hat and said, “Never thought I’d see a god, but I can only hope it doesn’t end too horribly.”

“It was a long battle to end up here...” said Joseph anxiously.

“This entire quest may have confused me to no end, but hopefully now we can get some clear answers and put an end to His Conceptual.” added Guy.

“I don’t believe in any religion, though this’ll be an experience to fight against a god in the flesh.” said Victire.

“I won’t be showing any mercy against His Conceptual, but I’ll see if gods do indeed bleed...” said Aeacus as he clutched his bone cutter.

“I hope that we succeed in our endeavor, after seeing His Conceptual attack our homes in name of his religious motives...” said Sigrid in a worried tone.

Crysaius took a deep breath and announced, “It’s do or die. Let’s go.” After mustering their courage, the Disciples stood ready to confront His Conceptual. Crysaius then pushed on the doors, opening the way to His Conceptual’s throne room.


	39. Chapter 39

The doors leading to His Conceptual creaked open deeply and the Disciples walked through the open passage fearlessly into his throne room. Despite the odds against them, they had no fear going up against an entity that was far more powerful than them. As they drew closer to a small set of stairs leading up to a throne, they saw before them His Conceptual waiting for them.

He looked at the seven fated individuals before them and said in a divine tone, “So, you’ve all managed to unite together and use your combined power to fight against me and what I’ve created?”

“We’ve all fought through your obstacles, but your agenda ends here, His Conceptual!” shouted Crysaius as he pointed to His Conceptual in defiance.

“Enough is enough, whatever you are. You’ve caused more annoyance than your twisted sense of good throughout this entire adventure.” said Avan as he unsheathed his knife from its sheath on his leg.

“You’ve terrorized more people than brought into your faith!” yelled Joseph.

“None of us will forgive you for such acts!” shouted Guy as he pointed his rapier to His Conceptual.

Victire aimed his gun at His Conceptual and said, “Either us or you will be put an to right here, and it’d be much preferable it would be you.”

“You’ve been a burden on us all, so allow us to put an end to you!” yelled Aeacus while he held his bone cutter.

“Your brutal nature to Unitas and others has gone too far!” yelled Sigrid as she clutched her glaive. His Conceptual looked at the Disciples and remained nonchalant even in the face of imminent conflict.

He sighed and said, “Although all of you are of different nations, in a way, you are the model I have been trying to strive Unitas toward. A unity of all of the nations on the land we live on. It has been my personal belief that the perfect society is one where every man, woman and child believes in a single faith. A perfect harmony.”

“If you believe that, then why do you kill or victimize those that peacefully believe in other faiths?” replied Crysaius.

“There is a very clear and distinct difference between other religions and myself, Dawn. I am a living manifestation as a god. Every other religion means nothing to me.” replied His Conceptual.

“Surely you can bear others believing in other religions, rather than a nation-wide cult?” retorted Avan.

“One of the main catalysts of conflicts among other nations are their disputes over their faith. If everyone believes under the same principles, it eliminates the issue of people causing disorder within the union I have created. Besides, I made my point earlier: I am a god existing before every person in the land.” answered His Conceptual.

“Some of us don’t even know of you, and you think forcing your principles on everyone will change everything even if life for them is already fine as-is?” said Victire.

“Everything was relatively fine in Fabricus, with myself doing art...” said Joseph.

“... Until YOU barged in with your damned zealots and caused us more chaos!” yelled Guy.

“You seem to be a tyrant as a leader and god if all you’re doing is just sending all of these soldiers just to kill seven people!” added Sigrid.

“Have you ever considered that this entire crusade of yours was instigated by your leader, Crysaius Dawn, of all people? Had he not went out and saw those guards beating a man in the streets, this might not have happened, but here you all are.” He then added, “However, before we inevitably clash, allow me to enlighten you with some truths you might have been seeking.” ”Although it may be unexpected, I have watched down upon all of you specifically, as I have foreseen this event where my reign is in danger and questioned.” retorted His Conceptual.

The Disciples looked at His Conceptual in confusion. “Wait… how could you have known your downfall from the beginning?” asked Aeacus.

“You see, you may not have been destined from the beginning, but all of you were seemingly born with strange, preordained purpose of seeking higher truths. You all were born with abilities that no one else possesses and a feeling that you all felt destined to seek greater truths.” The Disciples remained silent, but remained cautious of His Conceptual. “While I have been aware of your hometowns, they were all places I had tried to help, but they all strayed away from my light only to pursue their own desires.” His Conceptual’s words started to be infused with anger. “The damned fools… Why would they ignore a man only wanting to bring a better fate for everyone!?”

“... What’s with His Conceptual…? I… never thought I would see him in such anger like this…” said Crysaius who looked at the angered His Conceptual.

“Something about him tells me that he does indeed wish good will on everyone… though I have a feeling he might not be a god...” replied Sigrid.

His Conceptual immediately stood up from his throne and said, “I tire of people shunning my existence, and I have had enough of dwelling on my anger! Now, you shall fall before me!” He then held out the scepter he had on his back, and it turned into the pole of a polearm and on the top a large blade was conjured. Just beneath the blade, a bludgeoning end of a polehammer and an axe blade were conjured onto it, completing a weapon that to the Disciples, seemed like pure insanity, but at the same time an armament of gods. His Conceptual stood ready for battle, standing tall and holding his weapon with both hands. He then leapt from his throne and swung his weapon overhead, but Crysaius and his friends jumped back from the attack. When His Conceptual’s weapon struck the ground, the Disciples felt a strong force emanate from it, warning them of just how powerful he was.

“Just what even is he?! From just a single swing I felt something forceful coming from his weapon!” said Aeacus as he recovered from dodging.

“I may have doubted this guy being a god… but he’s something, alright.” added Victire.

Crysaius stood up and commanded, “Now! Everyone! Strike him with everything we have!”

After giving the order, Avan went forth first to attack His Conceptual and conjured some illusion clones to confuse him. The illusions drew in close to His Conceptual and all attacked him, but after attacking him for a few moments, he then swung once at all of them. In a single attack, they were all eliminated and they shortly dissipated. While His Conceptual was temporarily distracted by Avan’s illusion clones, Avan had repositioned himself behind His Conceptual and stood ready to throw a handful of knives at him. However, His Conceptual had almost immediately realized his plan, and counterattacked by jabbing him with the opposite end of his weapon. Avan attempted to use his illusion ability to inhibit some of the damage from His Conceptual’s attack, but the attack proved to be too strong, causing Avan to be knocked onto the ground.

“Well damn… he’s not dumb enough to fall for that.” strained Avan as he tried to recover from the attack. He then saw His Conceptual attempt to crush him with his weapon, to which Avan immediately rolled out of the way and stood back up. He then swung and jabbed his knife repeatedly at His Conceptual, attacking him while he’s still recovering from his attack. However, while only a few of his attacks hit, His Conceptual swung at Avan, knocking him with the bludgeoning end.

Avan flew into a pillar and strained, “... Serves me right trying to stop this early.”

“Insolent fool.” said His Conceptual briefly. After Avan was significantly injured from the attack, Joseph jumped in to fight His Conceptual. While His Conceptual drew closer to Avan in an attempt to finish him off, he noticed Joseph launching spells at him. He launched every spell in his arsenal, ranging from fiery projectiles to ice shards, trying everything he had to damage him. However, His Conceptual shifted his attention to Joseph, and began to advance toward him. He ran through each of Joseph’s attacks with almost no qualms, which placed fear in Joseph. His Conceptual came within melee range and swung at Joseph, cutting his torso badly as he was knocked back. Even while severely injured, Joseph continued to fight, albeit with difficulty as he struggled to move away.

“We... won’t let you continue your agenda!” yelled Joseph.

His Conceptual gripped his weapon and replied, “Your words mean nothing to unity!” Joseph slipped and was left open to an attack, but Guy ran forth to save him by punching His Conceptual in his face. He reacted to the sudden attack, and looked at Guy with pure vexation.

“Thank me later, Joseph, I’ll see if I can show this god what’s for!” said Guy to Joseph. Guy cracked his knuckles as he awaited His Conceptual’s attack. When he swung forth, Guy dodged to the side and immediately swung repeatedly with his rapier. His Conceptual then turned around to face Guy, to which he pointed his handgun at. He knew with confidence that one shot would either kill or significantly injure His Conceptual, but upon pulling the trigger, all Guy heard was an empty click, and no bullet had launched out. At that moment, Guy panicked from the failure of his equipment and thought, “Oh, god damn it.” Guy, too, was bludgeoned by His Conceptual and knocked back to Crysaius and the remaining Disciples.

As His Conceptual slowly walked forward to pursue the remaining Disciples, Victire stepped forth to fight him. “Alright, time to see what a god really is to a non-believer.” he said with disdain. He then aimed his gun toward His Conceptual and shot some electrical projectiles, to which he deflected them all with only one swing from his weapon. Upon seeing the failure, Victire then dashed forth to get within melee range of His Conceptual and prodded his gun under His Conceptual’s head to discharge a lethal current into him. Before he could pull the trigger, His Conceptual immediately grabbed him and held him away from himself.

“A god is still a god to a non-believer, even if you think you can believe that they don’t exist.” threatened His Conceptual as he clutched his weapon in his other hand. He then effortlessly tossed Victire into the air and swiped several times with his weapon and kicked him away from him. Victire eventually came to a halt, stopping a short distance from where he started, and could barely move after being hit by so brutal an attack.

“That… that can’t be possible… How can technology be overcome by god…?” said Victire confoundedly while he tried to comprehend what he was up against.

Aeacus pointed his bone cutter at His Conceptual and yelled, “If you truly are a god, then let’s see if you do indeed bleed!” He sprang forth and began to swing wildly with his cutter, but His Conceptual reacted only with guarding against each berserk blow by using the handle of his weapon to block each of them. His Conceptual then stepped to the side and grabbed Aeacus by his head, shocking him out of his tirade.

“Allow me to show you a better place for a scholar like yourself.” said His Conceptual as he flung Aeacus into the ground, leaving a small crater where his head struck as small bits of tiling flew out. Aeacus could barely move as he writhed in pain from the impact of the attack. His Conceptual grasped his weapon and threatened, “And now, a fate you and the Disciples deserve.” He raised his weapon in a downward position and prepared to thrust downward at the prone Aeacus.

“I won’t let you stop us here and now!” yelled Sigrid as she ran forth to save Aeacus. She attacked His Conceptual from behind by swinging her glaive out, cutting through his cape and barely brushing his back.

His Conceptual turned around to face Sigrid and questioned, “Even in the face of impossible odds, you still have the will to fight?” While Sigrid possessed a glaive, she still had difficulty, despite her extra reach with her weapon. She tried to keep a short distance away from His Conceptual, trying to thrust her glaive at any part of him that was not defended. However, His Conceptual’s strong swings with his weapon proved to be difficult for her to handle, as they were becoming too taxing to defend against. Her guard was then broken open from an attack from His Conceptual, leaving her body wide open. Sigrid looked on with fear as she saw His Conceptual come down upon her with unparalleled strength, cutting through her abdomen and arm with almost no effort. She was flung backwards and landed on her back on the floor, but she tried in vain to stand back up to continue fighting.

His Conceptual looked at the last Disciple standing before him, Crysaius Dawn, with the same hostile look he had given before he began fighting. Crysaius grasped his sword and remained steadfast in the battle ahead of him.

“And now there’s only you, Dawn. One of the most devout in this struggle.” said His Conceptual as he walked closer to Crysaius.

“My friends and I will not fall to the likes of your ruthless nature!” replied Crysaius. The two clashed, with Crysaius’s azure blade fighting against His Conceptual’s unfathomable weapon. Crysaius maintained his composure, blocking and stepping away from His Conceptual’s attacks while still counterattacking. The instant His Conceptual swung a heavy attack, he overcompensated in trying to regain his balance and stand back up. Seeing the perfect opportunity, Crysaius swung at his open defense, slashing across his face while a blue streak of light shone throughout his attack. The attack was effective, causing him to flinch from the damage on hit head. Crimson blood ran down His Conceptual’s face and he felt it with his hand, looked at it for a brief moment and returned his attention to Crysaius.

“You greatly remind me of a man who I once supported, only you’re more defiant against death.” said His Conceptual as he wiped the blood off of his hands.

“If you bleed, are you truly a god or just masquerading as one?” asked Crysaius. His Conceptual looked at him with absolute scorn and continued to lash out at him. His attacks were of a greater intensity and more backed with an unbridled anger. Crysaius could not exactly place why his god would be feeling this angered from a single question, and he began to brew suspicion that His Conceptual may have been around for a lesser time than he thought, perhaps not a god to begin with. While defending against his tirade, he looked at his face and saw what appeared to be a face hiding what seemed to be bitterness for something unknown. His composure was less of a collected divine ruling figure and appeared more similar to a man in a dangerous, pseudo-divine outburst. However, after a certain attack thrown by His Conceptual, Crysaius’s guard was broken, leaving him open for an attack.

His Conceptual thrusted his weapon’s blade into Crysaius, stabbing into his chest. “Now… die for the wrongs you have done, Crysaius!” He then flung him into the air, almost reaching the top of the throne room. While Crysaius hung in the air at the apex of his toss, he saw His Conceptual leap up to his height, preparing to swing his weapon overhead. Crysaius had no power to defend against his attack, and was caught in his attack and the two were sent falling back down to the ground at a breakneck speed. When the two collided with the ground, Crysaius was smashed into the floor of the throne room at such a tremendous strength numerous broken floor tiles scattered about the chamber.

After his final attack against Crysaius, he slowly stood up and looked around at the severely-injured Disciples around his throne room. He panted heavily from the amount of exertion he used to singlehandedly defeat the Disciples, and seemed certain they would not stand back up to fight. He then looked at the injured Crysaius and walked toward him and warned, “This is the cost of your attempts to fight against my rule, Crysaius. Now submit to me lest you and your comrades are killed for the sake of furthering it.” His Conceptual thought he had damaged Crysaius and the Disciples enough for them to learn their lesson, as they seemed to no longer be moving. However, he saw him slowly getting up, albeit with some struggle. He then stood in defense and said, “You never surrender, despite grievous injury and damage?”

Crysaius slowly regained his balance along with the rest of his friends and replied, “You may have created your own theological reign, backed with your oppressive nature… But we… forged our own path with our unity!”

His Conceptual looked angrily at the Disciples he thought he had defeated, and readied himself to attack them once more. “You stand no chance against the empire I have created!” he yelled at Crysaius.

“You’ve dispatched numerous soldiers, your government officials and the many men you have used to defend yourself against all of us, and you think we don’t stand a chance?” said Crysaius as he healed his wounds. “Every step of my journey has been an arduous test of my skill and abilities, and along the way, I’ve gained such valuable allies that became my friends…” “Friends that fight alongside each other to triumph!” yelled Crysaius as a final rallying call to his friends. They all confidently stood up and braved through the damage they had sustained from His Conceptual’s attacks on each of them.

“Damn straight,” said Avan as he held his knife out with one hand and held a handful of throwing knives in the other.

Joseph held out his staff and said, “Like the good we strive for!”

Guy brushed the blood from his mouth and added, “And nothing will stop us!”

“… Not even god himself!” said Victire as he stood up and ignored the wounds he had sustained.

Aeacus slowly got up from his prone position and added, “… You can’t stop us that easily… much like science…!”

“From the end of this inevitable struggle… maybe you will see the truth of your actions!” said Sigrid as he held her glaive out, ready for battle. His Conceptual was more vexed to see the Disciples still alive, and felt close to brutally killing them in front of himself, as he couldn’t stand to see himself be outdone by seven lesser individuals. He looked at the Disciples standing around him, and began to lash out at the nearest Disciple, which was Crysaius. While Crysaius held back against His Conceptual’s weapon, Crysaius called out to Avan to attack. He then threw a volley of knives at His Conceptual’s back, causing him a good amount of damage. He then pushed Crysaius back and attempted to pursue Avan, only to be stopped by Guy.

“I might not need my gun to fight you, but I have my rapier!” he yelled as he brandished his rapier. He jabbed it into some of the open parts of His Conceptual’s defense and finished with a diagonal slice on his chest. Afterwards, Guy leapt out of the way of a counterattack and allowed for Victire to attack His Conceptual. Victire telegraphed His Conceptual’s wide swings, dodging every single attack he threw. After dodging an overhead smash from His Conceptual, he then pinned the weapon to the ground using his foot.

“Nice weapon you’ve got there, now it’s my turn,” said Victire as he jabbed his gun into His Conceptual directly into his abdomen, and unleashed an electrical shock that caused him to jump back somewhat. The instant His Conceptual recovered from the recoil of Victire’s attack, he was struck by an unseen projectile that scorched his back side and cape somewhat before quickly putting it out by producing a strong movement of air by brushing his cape. He saw the still-injured Joseph limping, but still strong enough to hold his staff to attack him. Just as His Conceptual was about to finish him off, Joseph immediately reacted by not using any of his magical abilities, but instead thrusted the blunt end of his staff into him, knocking back and surprising him slightly with the unexpected tactic. When he had recovered from the attack, Aeacus grabbed His Conceptual’s shoulder and chopped his cutter into it, with blood spewing out from the cut. It was at this point, His Conceptual had finally dropped his weapon, as he could not properly wield it with only one hand.

“I’m certain you’ll make a fine specimen to study, given how you seem to be a unique one!” yelled Aeacus after he pulled his cutter out from His Conceptual. Sigrid then came in to lash out at him, jabbing and swinging her glaive about as it slashed at the defenseless god king. Her swift strikes felt as powerful as a greatsword swung at the same speed, and they heavily damaged His Conceptual, almost bringing him to his knees. He was breathing heavily, but still refusing to be defeated by mortals with distinguished abilities.

Crysaius and his friends quickly regrouped, and Crysaius looked at His Conceptual’s weapon that was laying on the ground before him, and said, “Wait... maybe I could use that weapon against him…?”

“That’s a strange plan, but let’s see if you can do some tentative irony against this god,” said Avan in agreement with the rest of the Disciples. Crysaius and his friends walked toward it, and Crysaius grabbed the long handle of it and attempted to lift it up. The weapon felt exceptionally heavy, perhaps heavier than a greataxe or greatsword, to Crysaius, but he continued to exert his strength to wield it. As he continued to lift it, he felt the unity of his friends and himself assisting him in his endeavor, knowing that their victory against His Conceptual was near for them. After a moment of struggle, Crysaius had finally lifted His Conceptual’s weapon and stood ready for a final strike.

His Conceptual regained his balance looked at Crysaius and warned, “You heathens… you should have never fought back against Unitas...!” Despite not possessing his weapon, His Conceptual hid his fear from the Disciples, but he still felt the end was finally upon him.

Crysaius held his weapon at the ready and yelled, “Your aimless aggression will be your downfall!” He then started to run toward His Conceptual and his wings materialized, helping him in mobility. His feet then left the ground and was propelled by such unfathomable power from his flight that he shouted a cry greater than he had ever mustered. His Conceptual saw on in fear of his demise and made an attempt to guard against the unrelenting attack. Crysaius swung the weapon across His Conceptual diagonally, slashing everything from his shoulder, torso and arm. His Conceptual then staggered from the wounds and injuries he sustained and fell to his knees. A looming shroud of silence and anxiousness went over the Disciples, uncertain if they had achieved victory.


	40. Chapter 40

Crysaius and his friends had seemingly defeated His Conceptual, and they continued to cautiously watch His Conceptual’s strained movements as he struggled to stand up. They too felt exhausted from their battle and were suspicious of any sudden attack he would execute.

“H… Have we defeated… him?” said Crysaius in disbelief as he panted.

“I’d be damned pissed if he still hasn’t given up after all that.” added Avan.

“Even if he isn’t a god… I can’t believe he could withstand all that...” said Joseph as he held his staff in preparation.

The Disciples slowly inched closer to His Conceptual, but Sigrid piped up and added, “This might be atypical of me, but thinking about His Conceptual’s motives, he seems to be well-intentioned, but I just feel there must have been some event that broke his benevolent nature...”

“Are you kidding? After all of the damned assaults he has thrown at us, and the damage he did to us, you feel apologetic about him?” argued Guy in opposition.

“Since when does forgiving an enemy apply here, anyhow?” said Victire as he turned his head to Sigrid.

“Just take in what he might be underneath his sovereign exterior, he acted intimidating to all of us, but look at him now.” said Sigrid as she invited the rest of the group to examine His Conceptual. Crysaius looked at him and saw him on his front and covering his eyes with one of his arms. He was quietly sobbing in the middle of a puddle of his blood, and felt greatly despondent at his failure, even sniveling incomprehensible sentences. After examining the saddened god, the Disciples ubiquitously felt sad about the defeat of His Conceptual.

Aeacus rubbed the back of his head and said, “... Although I never suspected His Conceptual to be of vague human origin, I also did not suspect to feel awful for him.”

“He’s almost brought us to the brink of death while we fought him, but now that I see him legitimately crying after we defeated him, I kind of feel sort of empty.” said Victire as he lowered his gun.

“He’s just a man whose dream became misguided, but I suppose we were born to help him out of his anger.” said Joseph.

“In a way, he’s like all of us. He strived to create a better world for us and we strived for that same motive. Although we had to enforce it through inevitable bloodshed.” said Crysaius as he lowered his weapon. He then turned to his friends and announced, “Let’s slowly approach him with our weapons down. I think we can resolve this without any more struggle.”

“I just hope he’s not pulling some stupid gambit to kill us while our guards are down.” urged Avan as he followed Crysaius. The Disciples walked slowly to the incapacitated His Conceptual, who only continued to stay in his place grovelling. His stressed whispers became audible to the Disciples as they approached him.

“... Why… Am I always a failure in my efforts…? … Was it right of me to have killed him..? … No, I’m just wrong all the time...” they heard from the sniveling god king. Eventually they stopped a few steps away from him and looked down at him. His Conceptual eventually stood on his knees while keeping his hands on the floor, but continued to not look at the Disciples. Crysaius held out His Conceptual’s weapon and in an act of mercy, dropped it in front of himself and His Conceptual as it hit the ground with a loud “thud”.. His Conceptual looked at his weapon for a moment and lifted his head up to look at the Disciples, who were offering him clemency. Crysaius offered his hand to His Conceptual, confusing him as to why he would be given an olive branch of peace after an arduous battle

“Here. Take my hand. We no longer wish to fight you if you feel emotional over your failures.” said Crysaius as he offered his hand out.

His Conceptual looked at Crysaius and asked, “Why do you wish to pity me, who only desires to create things for the good of the people I come across?”

“We may not know much about helping others, but you can at least take the first step in changing yourself into a better person.” replied Crysaius.

“It’s never too late to rethink yourself!” said Joseph encouragingly.

“I’d argue that this entire journey that I’ve been pigeonholed in has made me a better person.” added Guy.

“I concur with him, though I wouldn’t say you’re pigeonholed in this.” replied Victire, in an attempt to encourage His Conceptual. He looked at the seven fated individuals once again, with expressions of forgiveness, but he still hesitated to accept their offer of peace.

“I know, it might seem silly if not foolish of us to do this.” said Guy.

“But still, here we are, offering you clemency in this time.” added Aeacus.

“The first step of rebuilding yourself into a better individual is awareness of your faults, and then making efforts to fix it!” said Sigrid in a jovial tone.

“I don’t know anything sympathetic to say, but just assume I did.” said Avan in his usual deadpan tone. His Conceptual looked again at the Disciples and then at Crysaius, who still held his hand out to him.

“... Y… You all forgive me…? Despite the wrongs I have done now and then? … I just can’t think that you’re doing this just to pity me, like the inept person I was, and still am!” sobbed His Conceptual to Crysaius and his friends.

“We have fought many enemies along our journey, each one of them acting almost emotionless and under your orders. However, you express guilt and regret from such acts, thus we have decided to spare you, in the hopes you can take the time to forge yourself into a person of better intent.” said Crysaius in a comforting tone to the despondent god.

The god slowly began to reach out to Crysaius’s hand, finally accepting his offer, but he stopped just before grabbing it, puzzling Crysaius and his friends.

“... I… I must speak of a truth I have been hiding… but I fear that… he will come.” said His Conceptual in a worried tone. “You see, I was… not exactly born a god… Some… entity came to me long ago in a past I thought I had escaped and bestowed upon me a great power to change the lives of people, along with sending me to another world I don’t know...” The Disciples continued to listen carefully to His Conceptual, as he seemed to tell information that they never knew. “Now that I think about it, the powers I were given are quite… minimal. All I’ve done is bestow outside knowledge to these people and use a weapon I’ve only heard called a god sunderer...” He looked at his weapon, a god sunderer, in its strange divine construction of combat.

“So, you have never originated here on this world? How and why have you been sent here, then?” said Crysaius, baffled.

“Out of nowhere, something or… he… heard my yearnings for a better life for myself, a person who wanted to help others and be respected… and after being given such a power from him, in a white flash… I found myself in an unknown land that became Unitas and much more...” His Conceptual sighed and replied, “... I don’t know how to respond to this, I thought that if I had failed here and now I would be dead, and everything I’ve created would’ve been to waste...”

“It’s fine now, no one else has to die now, and you can always change.” assured Crysaius. His Conceptual still felt sad about his downfall, but slightly comforted that he could improve, seeing the seven people he has sought to defeat have offered him peace.

However, before His Conceptual could accept the Disciples’s offer at peace, he sensed a presence that he feared and hesitated again.

“Well, it seems someone has failed, even with a bestowed power.” chided a voice from nowhere. The Disciples looked around anxiously, as they thought they were up against something greater.

“... Who else is here?!” questioned Crysaius.

“Damn it, why did I subvert my own prediction?” complained Avan as he took out his knife.

The unknown voice chuckled and said, “So this is what you’ve been defeated by? A group of people with hackneyed abilities straight out of a silly fantasy tale? I expected much more from a subject like you, who dreams of creating a better world!”

“Just who in the hell are you, damn it?!” yelled Guy.

“How about you stop wasting time and show yourself already?” threatened Victire.

“Oh, I don’t need to show myself, I’m already watching over you all, as a greater empowered person than that ‘His Conceptual’ over there. He’s merely a footnote in learning the power of THE EMPEROR!” announced the voice maniacally. “Such infinite power that I discovered… and with only just a miniscule fragment of it, I can bestow it upon any of the countless individuals I have found throughout this endless universe I’ve wandered… perhaps becoming a greater god than what has been only written!”

“You gave His Conceptual that power just to learn of its potential?!” said Joseph dumbfoundedly.

“He is only just a side experiment, to see if a lowly individual when empowered can prove to be a better ruler. So far he’s a complete failure, like he always was.” replied the voice as His Conceptual remained on his knees and continued to shed tears over the truth about himself.

“What experiment is this if you’re putting this amount of strain on a man?!” argued Aeacus.

“Just who are you?!” yelled Sigrid.

“You would call me once a man, but my surname Fictus will do… but enough of your nonsense about your heroism, it’s time you all die before the emperor.” threatened Fictus.

Crysaius remained vigilant and hesitantly asked, “Who… Who is the emperor?”

The Disciples felt a strong force push against them, and heard Fictus yell, “YOU SHOULD NOT STAND BEFORE THE EMPEROR!” All but His Conceptual were pushed back, and in front of them appeared an entity in a similar shape as His Conceptual, albeit shrouded by the shadows in the chamber. The figure stood at a similar height as His Conceptual and wore gauntlets on both of his hands. He wore a dress shirt that appeared to be tattered with years of abuse underneath a cape he fashioned as a coat. His head, shrouded in the darkness, appeared to have disheveled hair and a glowing purple shape where one of his eyes would be. While the Disciples stood ready to fight against Fictus, unaware of his strength, he slowly advanced toward them.

Suddenly, an unusual portal in the shape of a large flat square sweeped between the two, and out from it appeared a man that Crysaius did not suspect to see. A tall man with neat orange hair wearing a blue suit standing in front of he and his friends defending them against their new enemy.

The man drew a revolver, looked at Fictus and threatened, “I won’t let you harm them, interloper.”

“... So, I’m finally cornered by an executive of Heaven itself? Tch, I guess I can’t hide forever by going from universe to universe… but I suppose this will be a perfect test to see if I can best an entity from heaven!” said Fictus eagerly. Crysaius and his friends looked on with awe and puzzlement at the exchange between the two.

The executive turned to the Disciples and warned to Fictus, “You won’t be harming either of us, Fictus.” He then took out a peculiar device and activated it, materializing the same portal he had entered from. The Disciples looked with fear and confusion as they saw the portal begin to sweep them up, but within a single moment they were picked up by it alongside the man and transported out of danger.

Fictus shook his head and said, “You always do that in the face of conflict, don’t you? Always threats and words, never true action?” He then turned to His Conceptual, who continued to look on with fear and sadness. “I guess while they’re supposedly gone, it’s time I ‘correct’ what you’ve done.” finished Fictus as he walked behind His Conceptual’s throne and looked over Unitas. He looked over the land and contemplated the many changes he would make, coming to terms that the society he stood in was too low for his tastes. The day came to a close before him, and a new night had dusked over Unitas.


End file.
